QATAR finally admitted on Saturday that it had arrested British two human rights investigators over alleged illegal activity.

The Norway-based Global Network for Rights and Development (GNRD) reported that researcher Krishna Upadhyaya and photographer Ghimire Gundev had gone missing on August 31.

GNRD said the men feared they were being tailed by security services while investigating Qatari migrant labour conditions.

Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said the men were “being interrogated for having violated the provisions of the laws of the state,” but that all actions were “consistent with the principles of human rights.”

A British consular official managed to visit the pair on Saturday, bringing back a message to Mr Ghimire’s family saying he was “well” and had “been well looked after.”

Mr Ghimire said he and Mr Upadhyaya had been arrested for “problems with our paperwork.”