Received a police summons in Qatar? What to do in the first 48 hours

What is a summons, and how does it reach you?

A summons is a request to appear before the police or the Public Prosecution to give your account of a report or case, as an accused person or a witness. It is not a finding of guilt: an accused person is innocent until proven guilty in court (Constitution, Article 39).

Police officers, acting as judicial police officers, may hear people with information and question the accused while gathering evidence (Articles 27 and 34). The Public Prosecution can order the accused to attend at a set time; the order names the person and the charge, and public officers serve a copy (Article 104). Witnesses are summoned the same way (Article 85).

In practice, the first contact may be a call or a text message; the Code names no single channel. The Ministry of Interior has warned about scam messages posing as official bodies, so avoid doubtful links. Check with the office through its official contact details.

What should you do in the first 48 hours?

In the first 48 hours, confirm the summons, fix the date, gather documents, keep your messages and stay away from the complainant. Forty-eight hours is not a legal deadline, just a practical window to prepare.

1. 1

   Note the office, date, time, any report number and the caller's name.

2. 2

   Ask whether you are called as the accused or a witness.

3. 3

   Attend on time. If a genuine reason prevents you, contact the office before the date, explain, and keep proof.

4. 4

   Gather your QID or passport and any contract, receipt, transfer or correspondence linked to the matter.

5. 5

   Keep messages and files as they are. Don't delete chats, posts or accounts; back them up, and write a short timeline.

6. 6

   Don't contact the complainant or witnesses about the matter, directly or through others, and don't post about it online.

7. 7

   Consider speaking to a lawyer first, especially if you are summoned as the accused.

If an accused person misses a Public Prosecution summons without an acceptable excuse, the prosecutor may order their arrest (Article 105). An absent witness can also be ordered brought in (Article 92).

What are your rights during police questioning?

During police questioning, you must be treated with dignity and not harmed, and the officer must tell the accused of the right to remain silent and to contact a person of their choice (Article 40; Constitution, Article 36).

• The accused and their representative may attend evidence-gathering steps whenever possible (Article 34).
• Your statement goes into a record you are asked to sign; a refusal to sign is noted with its reason (Article 31). Read it carefully first.
• If arrested, you must be heard at once and, if the evidence is sufficient, brought before the prosecution within 24 hours. The prosecution must question you within 24 hours of that, then order release or detention (Article 43).
• Anyone arrested must be told promptly why and of the charge, and may contact whoever they choose and seek a lawyer (Article 113).

What are your rights before the Public Prosecution?

Before the Public Prosecution, you have the right to know the charge, to have your lawyer attend, and to an interpreter if you don't understand Arabic.

What can happen after you attend?

After you attend, the file may be closed, you may be released, conditions or detention may be ordered, or the case may go to court. It depends on the facts and evidence, and cannot be predicted in advance.

You can follow a report's status through the report inquiry service («الاستعلام عن البلاغات») on the Public Prosecution's e-services portal.

Scammed online? How to report it

If you decide to report an online scam, the official channel is the Ministry of Interior's Economic and Cyber Crimes Combating Department. Obtaining money by fraud over the internet is an offence under Article 11 of the Cybercrime Prevention Law No. 14 of 2014.

1. 1

   Stop paying or talking to the other party, and call your bank at once if money has left your account.

2. 2

   Keep screenshots, links, account numbers and receipts.

3. 3

   In the Metrash app, choose "Communicate with us", then "Economic and Electronic Reporting", then "Reporting".

4. 4

   Select the report type, add the location and a short description, attach a photo and tap "Send".

You can also call 2347444 or the hotline 66815757, email cccc@moi.gov.qa, or visit the reports office in Onaiza (former Onaiza Services Center), as the Ministry announced in June 2025. Report quickly: the Ministry notes digital evidence can be altered.

When should you speak to a lawyer?

Speak to a lawyer before you attend if you are summoned as the accused, the matter could be a felony, or someone has been arrested. Other signs:

• You don't know your role yet, or you must attend the Public Prosecution.
• You or a relative has been arrested or detained.
• You face a travel ban or a bail request.
• The matter involves social media posts or messages.
• You don't read Arabic well, or must sign a statement or undertaking.
• You are a resident worried about your residency or job.

Before practising law, Faysel Al-Mohannadi spent 23 years with Qatar's Ministry of Interior, including as a Criminal Intelligence Officer at INTERPOL in Lyon. He is admitted before the Court of Cassation.

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