Qatar’s World Cup chief executive has been criticized by human rights groups for saying ‘death is a natural part of life’ when asked about the death of a migrant worker during the tournament.
Football’s world governing body fifa said he was “deeply saddened” following the death of the worker during the group stages.
In an interview with Reuters, tournament boss Nasser Al Khater said he was “disappointed” by journalists’ questions about it.
“The Qatari official’s comment shows callous disregard for the migrant worker who died,” Human Rights Watch representative Rothna Begum said.
“His statement that deaths do happen and it’s natural when they do, ignores the truth that many migrant worker deaths were preventable.”
A Filipino national died while carrying out repairs at a compound used as a training base by the Saudi team, Athletic reported.
Qatar’s treatment of migrant workers has been one of the main controversies that has overshadowed preparations for the World Cup.
The tournament’s supreme committee said the worker “was not working under their warrant” and that the incident occurred “on property not under their jurisdiction”.
The case is currently under investigation by the Qatari authorities.
Fifa said it had been informed of an accident and was in contact with local authorities to seek further details.
“Is that something you want to talk about now?” Al Khater said. “I mean, dying is a natural part of life, whether it’s at work or in your sleep.
“Of course a worker passed away. Our condolences go out to his family. However, I mean it’s odd that this is something you want to focus on as your first question.”
He added: “Listen, the death of the workers was a big topic during the World Cup. Everything that was said and everything that was reflected on the death of the workers was absolutely false.
“That theme, that negativity around the World Cup was something that we faced.
“We’re a bit disappointed that reporters have exacerbated this false narrative. And honestly, I think a lot of reporters need to ask themselves questions and think about why they’ve been trying to dwell on this for so long.”
Ella Knight, Amnesty International’s researcher on migrant workers’ rights, said: “Unfortunately, Mr Al Khater is wrong when he says that every death is investigated. It is simply not true.
“We and others have called on the Qatari authorities to conduct such investigations into worker deaths for years, to no avail.
“Instead, they simply continue to write off large numbers of deaths as due to ‘natural causes’, despite the obvious health risks associated with working in extreme temperatures.
“It goes without saying that the government should investigate this most recent tragic case, as well as the deaths of all the others. Every family who has lost a loved one due to their working conditions in Qatar deserves answers and remedies for his loss.”
Human rights organizations and a number of football associations whose countries are involved in the tournament say they “continue to put pressure” on Qatar and Fifa establish a compensation fund for migrant workers and their families, as well as the establishment of a migrant worker center in Doha.
