DOHA - Qatar's former emir Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad al-Thani returned to Doha on Thursday to attend his wife's funeral, his first time in the country since he was deposed by his son in a 1995 palace coup.
"The emir-father Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad al-Thani returned to Doha this morning. Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani led members of the ruling family who greeted him," the official QNA news agency reported.
The use of the word "returned" left open the possibility that he would remain in the country after the funeral of his wife, Sheikha Mozah bint Ali bin Saud bin Abdul Aziz al-Thani.
Newspapers on Thursday published news of the death of Sheikha Mozah, who was not the mother of the current emir.
The "emir-father," as he is known here, had not returned to Qatar since he was overthrown by the current ruler, Sheikh Hamad, in June 1995, staying mostly in Europe.
In May 2001, Qatar's appeal court condemned to death a cousin of the current emir and former economy and finance minister, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem bin Hamad al-Thani, and 18 other people for their role in a failed 1996 coup allegedly instigated by the deposed emir, overruling life sentences handed down by a lower court.
The appeal court also imposed life terms on 20 defendants for plotting to overthrow Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa and acquitted another 29.
A Saudi was among the 19 sentenced to death.
The high criminal court had earlier cleared neighboring Bahrain, with which Qatar was at odds until the World Court ruled in March 2001 on a territorial dispute, of involvement by quashing some charges.
Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem, also a former police chief, was accused of being the coup ring-leader, while the ousted emir was alleged to have instigated the bid from abroad.
Witnesses, who included Qatar's prime minister and foreign minister, alleged in court at the time that the suspects had foreign backing for the February 6, 1996 bid, pointing a finger at Bahrain and saying Saudi Arabia was aware of the purported plot.
The current emir and his father have been reconciled after settling a multi-billion-dollar financial dispute.
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