Brit found hanged in Doha hotel ‘tortured by Qatar police’
Qatar authorities recorded Marc Bennett’s death as suicide but British coroner found no evidence of suicidal intent

An investigation into the death of a British travel industry boss in Qatar has reportedly uncovered fresh evidence that he was detained and tortured by the country’s secret police in the final weeks of his life.
Marc Bennett was found hanged in a Doha hotel on Christmas Eve 2019, ten weeks after being arrested “and taken blindfolded and handcuffed to a state security detention centre”, The Times reported. The UN has also reported “credible allegations” of ill-treatment at the unit.
The newspaper’s probe found he had “described how he was stripped naked, blasted with high-pressure hoses, slammed against walls and subjected to sleep deprivation techniques while held for three weeks”.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Bennett’s family said that following his release, he was prevented from leaving Qatar and left in “legal limbo”. After travelling to Qatar to repatriate his body, the family found evidence of “only a cursory investigation” into the 52-year-old’s death by the authorities, said The Telegraph.
The death was ruled a suicide, but a British coroner found “no specific evidence of suicidal intent”. Bennett did not leave a suicide note and was said to have been “laughing and joking” during a video call with his wife and children at their Sussex home on the evening before he died.
Former police office Colin Whelan, a friend of Bennett, told regional paper The Argus that “I’ve never witnessed such a coordinated attempt to prevent us getting answers”.
Bennett was senior vice-president of Discover Qatar, a subsidiary of the state-owned Qatar Airways, after being headhunted to boost tourism for the 2022 World Cup. But prior to his arrest, he had resigned, which an ex-colleague claimed was regarded as a “massive insult”.
Civil defence officers claimed Bennett had appropriated documents from Qatar Airways.
The Foreign Office closed the case last September, a week after Liz Truss became foreign secretary. The following month, Truss visited Qatar to create “deeper co-operation on security, development, trade and investment”.
Bennett’s family have asked a UN mission investigating abuses in Qatar to launch “an inquiry into his arrest, incarceration and death”, The Times reported.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
What to know about private equity in your 401(k)
the explainer BlackRock is making private investments available in employer-sponsored retirement plans
-
The unsteady pace of Formula 1's US popularity
In Depth The racing sport is immensely popular in Europe but has seen mixed success in the US
-
An American girl takes on London, 'Bosch' gets another spinoff and Washington Black leaps from page to screen in July TV
the week recommends This month's new television releases include 'Too Much,' 'Ballard' and 'Washington Black'
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?
today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
Trump says Iran and Israel agreed to ceasefire
Speed Read This followed a night of Israeli airstrikes on Tehran and multiple waves of missiles fired by Iran
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designation
The Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
-
Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across Syria
THE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations
-
'Like a sound from hell': Serbia and sonic weapons
The Explainer Half a million people sign petition alleging Serbian police used an illegal 'sound cannon' to disrupt anti-government protests
-
The arrest of the Philippines' former president leaves the country's drug war in disarray
In the Spotlight Rodrigo Duterte was arrested by the ICC earlier this month
-
Ukrainian election: who could replace Zelenskyy?
The Explainer Donald Trump's 'dictator' jibe raises pressure on Ukraine to the polls while the country is under martial law