Qatar’s initiative to host an international conference to fight piracy and espionage is widely welcomed
A specialized unit is needed to combat the crime of piracy against human rights advocates and organizations in the world
officials in national human rights institutions are at risk and harassed
Marrakech: October 10, 2010
Dr. Ali bin Samih al-Marri, Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, called for the establishment of a special UN rapporteur on the crimes of electronic piracy and its impact on the enjoyment of human rights and placing these crimes on the permanent agenda of the Human Rights Council, as well as expanding the functions of the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders. Al Marri also called on The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to establish a specialized unit to combat the crime of piracy against human rights defenders and organizations in the world.
This came during his speech at the opening of the 13th International Conference of National Human Rights Institutions in Marrakech, Kingdom of Morocco, from 10 to 12 of this month under the title “Expansion of civic space and the promoting and protecting of human rights defenders with a focus on women: the role of national institutions Human rights”. Under the high patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI.
Dr. Ali Bin Smaikh expressed his country’s readiness to host an international conference to combat piracy and espionage in order to participate in an international dialogue to develop national legislation, activate the relevant conventions and support the mandate of the Special Rapporteur to protect defenders. Al-Marri said: “The National Human Rights Committee in Qatar has been subjected to many attacks this year from external parties as a result of the crisis in Qatar, where the NHRC’s website has been subjected to more than 735 thousand attacks, along with campaigns and other distorting practices to disable Performing its functions as a national institution and human rights defender.
Al Marri pointed out in the same context that many civil society activists and Qatari media officials have been subjected to piracy and espionage from external parties, and said The National Human Rights Committee has addressed many United Nations special rapporteurs as well as concerned international governmental and non-governmental organizations. We propose to expand the functions of the Special Rapporteur on Defenders, in light of the violations against defenders and activists, and call for the establishment of a special rapporteur on the crimes of cyber piracy and its impact on the enjoyment of human rights, and placing such crimes in the permanent agenda of the Human Rights Council. “We also call on the High Commissioner for Human Rights to establish a specialized unit to combat piracy crimes against activists and human rights organizations in the world”, Al Marri said.
Al-Marri said there are many restrictions imposed on activists including violating rights of freedom of movement, and involving detention, unfair trials and harsh sentences, pointing out that the national institutions play a great role in spreading the declaration of human rights defenders and training the law officials; describing the experience of the State of Qatar and the proposal of the National Human Rights Committee to issue a law regulating political asylum.
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