QNA
Doha: The Chairman of Qatar National Human Rights Committee (NHRC), Dr Ali bin Sumaikh Al Marri, called yesterday on UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while counter-terrorism Fionnuala Ni Aolain to take all the necessary measure to identify the location of four Qatari citizens detained by Saudi authorities, and to work on releasing them immediately.
The Chairman provided an update to the UN Special Rapporteur on the implications of the blockade on the State of Qatar, and the serious human rights violations it made as acknowledged by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
He handed the UN Special Rapporteur a copy of the NHRC’s annual reports, and a report on the one year anniversary of the blockade.
Al Marri also stressed that the four Qatari citizens were detained in Saudi Arabia, and are victims of arbitrary arrest and forced disappearance.
The meeting focused on discussing the arbitrary lists formed by the blockading countries which categorises a number of Qatari organisations, institutions, individuals, journalists, activists, and media personalities as terrorist without providing any prove. Al Marri said that those lists aimed to tarnish the State of Qatar’s image, and to label it as a terrorist.
The NHRC Chairman added that the lists were part of the blockading countries’ effort to disrupt the humanitarian work done by the State of Qatar and by Qatari humanitarian organisations, in order to deprive millions of people who are in need of humanitarian projects.
The Chairman also said that the lists aimed to undermine the work of humanitarian activists, media personalities, and journalists as they pursued their duty and right to freedom of expression and obtaining information.
The meeting also focused on potential facets of cooperation, including establishing a partnership to coordinate efforts in protecting human rights and counter-terrorism. The partnership would be between the NHRC and the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while counter-terrorism.
Al Marri also provided an overview of the NHRC’s efforts in supporting counter-terrorism efforts and the protection of human rights.
