Naturopath Barbara O’Neill questioned in Qatar, allowed to leave

Dubai: Australian naturopath and health educator Barbara O’Neill has said she was questioned by authorities in Qatar before being allowed to continue her travels and return to Dubai.

O’Neill, who has an international following for her talks on nutrition, natural remedies and lifestyle-based approaches to health, recounted the incident in a video posted on her official Instagram account.

She said the episode began at around 9pm when she was preparing to go to bed.

According to O’Neill, several officials arrived at her accommodation and one identified himself as being from Qatar’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID). She was told that she needed to accompany them to a police station.

O’Neill said a policewoman accompanied her while she changed before she was taken to the station.

‘I did cry’

Describing the experience as “incredibly unnerving”, O’Neill said she became emotional while being questioned.

“I did cry,” she recalled, saying an officer asked why she was crying and pointed out that nobody had hurt her.

O’Neill said she responded that she had “done nothing wrong”.

She said she was questioned for nearly an hour before being told that she could return to her hotel rather than remain at the police station overnight.

O’Neill was instructed to report back at 7am the following morning.

She said she returned as directed and spent about five hours at the station while the matter was considered by legal officials.

According to O’Neill, she later appeared before the head prosecutor with two lawyers present and was informed that there was no restriction preventing her from travelling.

“They said, no, you don’t have a ban. You can travel,” she recalled.

O’Neill subsequently left Qatar and returned to Dubai, where she joined her husband, Michael.

The couple did not provide details about the specific issue that led to O’Neill being questioned.

Couple thank Qatar officials

Speaking together after the incident, O’Neill and her husband expressed gratitude to officials in Qatar for the way the matter was ultimately resolved.

They thanked those in positions of authority who, they said, had looked into the matter and enabled her to continue her travels.

O’Neill said that during questioning she explained her work as teaching people about lifestyle practices.

Her husband also spoke about criticism his wife has faced over her health teachings, referring to organisations and academics who have challenged some of her views.

There is no indication, however, that such criticism was connected to her questioning in Qatar.

Who is Barbara O’Neill?

O’Neill is an Australian naturopath and natural health educator who has developed a sizeable international following through lectures, retreats and online videos.

She advocates nutrition, natural remedies and lifestyle changes as part of her approach to health and wellbeing.

Some of her health-related teachings have previously attracted scrutiny in Australia. In 2019, the New South Wales Health Care Complaints Commission prohibited O’Neill from providing health services in the state after finding that some of the health information she provided posed a risk to public health and safety.

She has continued to give talks internationally and has a substantial following on social media.

O’Neill said she was now back in Dubai with her husband following the Qatar visit.