DUBAI,— The ex-wife of a Dubai royal has lost her custody fight over their three daughters and says she now faces police action involving coercive force, the UK Daily Mail reported on Friday.

In a video message released to the Daily Mail through her British lawyer David Haigh, Zeynab Javadli said Dubai courts have ordered police to take her three daughters and hand them to Sheikh Saeed bin Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Javadli is a former Azerbaijani rhythmic gymnast who won medals at both the World and European championships.

She said that after a final appeal was rejected earlier in the day, she filmed and livestreamed what she described as male and female police officers outside her home preparing to act.

In the video, she said she was receiving messages about bomb alerts and instructions to stay inside for safety.

She also said court notifications demanded she hand over her children or face police entry into her home, arrest, and removal of the children.

She said through tears that she was standing at a window watching and waiting for officers to arrive.

Court documents state she must return custody of the minors to Sheikh Saeed and that coercive force may be used if needed.

Javadli said she had a previous legal agreement with Sheikh Saeed’s uncle, Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, which she says allowed her to keep the children.

Court filings from November outlined her allegations against Sheikh Saeed, a businessman and former Olympic clay shooter, claiming he left the children unsupervised, used inappropriate language, deprived them of sleep, and drove recklessly.

Sheikh Saeed denied the claims and said she had ignored court orders and sought to keep the children away from him to impose Western behavior that he said did not fit UAE culture and the ruling family.

Her lawyer David Haigh said Sheikh Saeed, a nephew of Dubai’s ruler, had previously taken the children and held them for 40 days against her will.

He also said Javadli had been confined to her home since last November, afraid to leave due to arrest warrants and travel bans.

He described the situation as state backed abuse and said the UAE lacked human rights protections.

The case follows earlier disputes involving members of Dubai’s ruling family, including Princess Haya, who fled the country seven years ago, and Princess Latifa, who said she was detained after trying to leave before later saying she was living freely.

The Daily Mail said it had contacted Sheikh Saeed’s lawyer and Dubai police for comment.

She said the situation unfolded after years of legal disputes over custody and court orders, with both sides previously presenting claims before Dubai courts.

The video message was described as an exclusive statement provided to the Daily Mail through her legal representative.

The publication said it had sought responses from both Sheikh Saeed’s legal team and Dubai police, but no additional comment was included in the report at the time of publication.

We also note the court order language allowing coercive enforcement and the requirement to return custody of the minors remains central to the dispute.

Her lawyer continued to describe ongoing restrictions, travel bans, and confinement at her residence since last November period.

(With files from The Daily Mail, dailymail.co.uk)

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