The continuation of the unjust blockade of Qatar and the accompanying arbitrary measures for the third year in a row deepen the immense humanitarian suffering being endured by citizens and residents of the State of Qatar and the rest of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, as the number of complaints received by the National Human Rights Committee reached 4275 complaints.

The National Human Rights Committee emphasizes that the blockading countries continue to target the peoples and tearing the Gulf social fabric, in flagrant violation of international and regional human rights conventions, despite the international appeals launched by organizations, parliaments and governments across the world.

The lack of responsiveness by the blockading countries to the Gulf mediation and rejection of any international and regional efforts to resolve the crisis is only a pretext to perpetuate violations and inflict harm on their peoples. In this regard, the National Human Rights Committee expresses its deep concern at the failure of all attempts to discourage these countries from their violations or even urge them to find radical solutions to end violations, to fulfil the aspirations of the peoples. The National Committee also strongly deplores the failure of the Gulf system to address the adverse impacts of the humanitarian crisis of the unjust blockade.

The National Human Rights Committee reiterates its position calling for the immediate cessation of grave violations and putting an end to the suffering of the victims and ensure redress for them prior to initiation of any political solutions, in accordance with international human rights agreements.

The National Human Rights Committee also notes that disregarding the issue to lift injustice and compensate the victims will inevitably lead to widening the gap, tearing the Gulf fabric and losing confidence in the Gulf system. Accordingly, the National Human Rights Committee calls upon the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council to assume its responsibilities and expeditiously address the humanitarian implications of the crisis prior to initiation of any political solutions.

The National Human Rights Committee, having noted with satisfaction the movements of the State of Qatar before international organizations and tribunals to provide redress and compensation to victims and expose the violations of the blockading countries to international public opinion, calls upon the State of Qatar to continue moving forward and recalls its obligation to preserve the rights of victims and not to waive claims for reparations under any circumstance or pressure by any party.

In conclusion, the National Human Rights Committee commends the positions of international human rights organizations in documenting violations and condemning the blockading countries, particularly the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the European Parliament in condemning the blockading countries, and undertakes to the victims and the public opinion to continue its efforts to prosecute those states and coordinate with the concerned organizations and bodies in this regard, regardless of what happens in the future with regard the resolution of the crisis.

10 Sawwal 1441, 2nd June 2020
Doha, Qatar

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Doha, May 31

The National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) has published a book entitled “3 years since the blockade of Qatar”, in which it referred to unilateral coercive measures taken by the blockading countries against the State of Qatar and its citizens and residents when it severed diplomatic relations with it on June 5, 2017, and accordingly, they gravely violated numerous basic human rights.

The book contains statistics on violations of human rights and freedoms committed by the three Gulf blockading States “Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and the Kingdom of Bahrain against the State of Qatar, as well as international reports on these violations, international provisions and decisions against the blockade of the State of Qatar, conclusions, legal description, recommendations, and a profile of the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) in terms of its establishment, functions, and its role in promoting and protecting human rights at all levels, and its obtaining of (A) rating from the Accreditation Subcommittee of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions.

The report noted that the total violations of human rights and freedoms monitored and documented by the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) as a result of the blockade of the three Gulf States amounted to 4275 violations, including the right to movement, residence, ownership, education, health, work, litigation, the right to family reunification, freedom of opinion and expression, arbitrary detention and concealment, forced incitement to violence, hatred and the right to practice religious rites, citing several examples of each of these violations.

It noted that among all these violations, which were complaints registered by the NHRC , by Saudi Arabia was 2448 violations, by the United Arab Emirates, 1225 violations and by the Kingdom of Bahrain 602 violations.

The book also touched on a series of periodic reports prepared by the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) to monitor the negative effects of the blockade on human rights in the State of Qatar, including reports of special violations such as the report on deprivation of religious rites, report on the violation of the right to property, report on the violation of the right to food and medicine, and report on the violation of the right to education.

As for the reports of general violations, including the report of the Fourth Committee for Human Rights Violations of the State of Qatar as a result of the blockade, titled “Six months of violations, what next”, another report entitled “A year after the continuation of human rights violations by the blockading countries”, and the report “After six months have passed”..Non-compliance by the United Arab Emirates with the decisions of the International Court of Justice, January 15, 2019, then another general report entitled “One and a half years since the decision of the International Court of Justice … The United Arab Emirates continues to violate human rights” January

2020. The booklet also highlighted the international rulings and decisions against the blockade of the State of Qatar, including what was issued by the International Court of Justice and the International Committee for the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination in Geneva.

The book , under the title, “Conclusions and Legal Characterization,” noted that the governments of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and the Kingdom of Bahrain have violated, through their unilateral arbitrary measures, several principles and agreements of the international human rights law, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Convention on Women and Children, Persons with Disabilities, and Forced Disappearance, in addition to the Arab Charter for Human Rights and the GCC Declaration of Human Rights.

The blockading countries also flagrantly violated the “Chicago” agreement by prohibiting the movement of Qatari civil aviation over their territories without any military necessity or reasons related to public security.

The book concluded with recommendations prepared by the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) for all concerned parties to take necessary and possible measures to lift the blockade and the resulting violations, and demanding compensation for all the damage caused to all individuals.

The National for Human Rights Committee (NHRC) submitted these recommendations to the United Nations, the Human Rights Council, the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the blockade countries, the General Secretariat of the Cooperation Council for the Arab Gulf States (GCC) and the Qatari government.

The book has been published in three languages: Arabic, English and French. It was posted on the National for Human Rights Committee (NHRC) website.

Click here to read the booklet.

Click here to read the French version.

Doha, May 05

The National Human Rights Committee (NHRC), in coordination with representatives of its expat offices, launched an awareness campaign targeting corporate workers, including workers in recruiting companies and domestic workers.

The campaign included field visits to workers in the Industrial Area, Umm Salal, Al Wakrah, Al Duhail, and Al Thumama. In the future it will include other areas where expatriate workers are located. The campaign distributes instructions, brochures, and educational publications that focus on the preventive measures that must be followed to prevent the risk of infection with the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). The campaign also raises the awareness of workers on the importance of using the hotline launched by the NHRC, to receive and monitor any complaints they have regarding violations that may affect their rights, especially due to the repercussions of the new Coronavirus epidemic (COVID-19).

Head of NHRC Media and Public Relations Department Abdullah Ali Al Mahmoud said that the campaign came to complement the field visits paid by teams from the committee since the start of Ramadan to the Industrial Area and workers quarantines in Umm Salal, Mesaieed, and other areas, in addition to police stations.

The campaign is an implementation of the goals of the National Human Rights Committee in raising the awareness of workers from different nationalities on the dangers of the spread of COVID-19, and on their rights, including to prevention and treatment under these conditions, as well as their right to make use of all the different medical equipment required for protection from the virus.

Al Mahmoud said that the committee’s team met with workers and discussed their residence conditions. The team familiarized the workers with the guidelines on the precautionary measures taken by the State of Qatar, and the rights of everyone in the country in these conditions under the law.

Representatives of Expat community offices of Nepal, India, African expat communities, Sri Lanka, and Bengal all participated in the awareness campaign. This was in reflection of the committee’s commitment to reaching all expat communities and communicating in the different languages they speak.

The National Human Rights Committee started a series of field visits to a number of penal institutions and places of detention to inspect their compliance with the precautionary measures in place to prevent the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and to meet the human rights standards set forth in international laws and covenants during periods of crisis, in light of the exceptional circumstances in the world due to the spread of the epidemic.

The committee’s field visits team visited the men and women sections of the central prison to monitor the humanitarian conditions of inmates, conducted a general tour, and held private interviews with detainees chosen by the team to obtain the necessary information and data in relation to the measures taken by penal institutions department to protect inmates.

In a statement, Dr. Mohammed Saif Al Kuwari, Deputy Chairman of NHRC and head of the visits and monitoring committee, said that the field visit of the teams of the NHRC comes within the framework of exercising its competence related to monitoring what is raised about the human rights situation in the State, and coordination with the authorities concerned to respond to them, as well as preparing reports related to human rights situation and submitting them to the Council of Ministers along with its views in line with the paragraphs 5 and 6 of the text of Article 3 of Decree Law No. 17 of 2010 organizing the NHRC.

Al Kuwari said that the NHRC aims, through its field visits, to promote and protect human rights, especially for the inmates and detainees groups, and respond to reports in accordance with paragraphs 6 of Article 3 of the above-mentioned law, which provides for monitoring what may be raised about the human rights situation in the state and coordinating with the authorities concerned to respond to them.

Al Kuwari noted that field visits to penal institutions and places of detention also come in response to the reports of various international organizations and United Nations human rights mechanisms that require national human rights institutions to submit reports on the nature of the measures taken by countries to confront the Corona pandemic and their compatibility with international standards.

Dr. Al Kuwari added that the NHRC team will prepare, at the end of its field visits, a report to be submitted to the official authorities in the State and international human rights organizations, including its observations and recommendations on the precautionary measures followed by the State of Qatar to prevent the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in the penal institutions.

Doha, April 09 (QNA)

The National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) launched on Thursday its hotline (8002222) to ensure the provision of integrated and continuous services, as part of precautionary and preventive measures to limit the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19).

The hotline covers five languages that serve a large segment of the country’s committees, Arabic, English, and Urdu, which in turn covers the Indian, Nepalese and Sri Lankan languages, as well as the Filipino and Swahili languages.

The Head of the Public Relations Unit of NHRC Abdullah Ali Al Mahmoud said that the committee is always keen to provide its integrated services and find solutions to communities in light of the current challenges, pointing out that the call center (8002222) is responsible for receiving all types of calls in the five available languages, by the committee’s specialized work team.

He stressed that the service will remain even after the end of the Coronavirus pandemic, explaining that this initiative enables access to more efficient and effective job performance, in addition to easy access to customers, as well as an opportunity for the public to interact with the NHRC. It also allows executives to better access tools that enhance decision-making.

Al Mahmoud indicated that the call center (8002222) is the official and unified hotline that supports online services 24 hours a day. Companies, citizens, residents, and visitors can call at any time to inquire about all legal and advisory information or file a complaint, he added.

He explained that the service will be available through the center based on international standards for call centers and customer services. The unified call center number (8002222) will raise the level of services provided to the citizens and residents and provide them with a unified source to answer all inquiries related to the work of NHRC.

He added that the launch of this service falls under the policy of the NHRC, to achieve direct and permanent communication and interaction with all segments of the Qatari society, as well as a dedication to the approach taken since its establishment in 2002, to protect and promote human rights.

He noted that this hotline service would also reinforce the prevailing trends to reduce the spread of the Coronavirus in terms of social distancing and remote work without affecting the workforce. (QNA)

The National Human Rights Committee of the State of Qatar expresses its satisfaction with the precautionary measures taken by the State of Qatar to contain the spread of Coronavirus, and stresses the importance of concerted efforts of the Government and all segments of society to accord priority to the right to health for all and ensure respect for human rights without discrimination.

The National Human Rights Committee has followed with interest the extensive precautionary measures being taken by the Government to promote prevention and protect society from possible implication, since the first cases were registered until now. The NHRC stresses the importance of awareness campaigns by the ministries of health and the interior, and other concerned parties to sensitize the population about the importance of staying home more often and avoiding public gatherings, beside other measures aiming at providing adequate means to contain the spread of this epidemic.

The NHRC urges the competent authorities to move forward with its measures within the framework of supporting response to the coronavirus outbreak in conformity with human rights standards and in a manner commensurate with public health risks.

The NHRC notes that the measures and restrictions taken are exceptional measures justified as reasonable, necessary and proportionate in the light of the present circumstances, while stressing the importance of ensuring access to food, water and basic needs and providing health care and services for all without discrimination, including measures to enhance protection of the most vulnerable groups in this exceptional circumstance, especially for people with chronic health conditions, the elderly and people with disabilities, as well as expatriate workers.

In turn, the NHRC will intensify its work in coordination with the competent bodies, to carry out field visits to designated quarantine spots, places of detention, and workers’ accommodation, to ensure compliance with international human rights standards.

At the same time, the NHRC commends community awareness and the wide response of citizens and residents to the precautionary measures and calls for strengthening a spirit of solidarity between civil society institutions, the private sector and other stakeholders, and those involved in awareness-raising activities and preventive efforts.

In conclusion, the NHRC cannot fail to express sincere thanks and gratitude to the medical staff, as well as to the Supreme Committee for Crisis Management and all relevant government officials and civil service employees for their efforts to confront the Coronavirus.

13 Shaaban 1441
6 April 2020
Doha, Qatar

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We are ready to hand the Secretary General of the Cooperation Council a complete file on documented violations of human rights of gulf peoples

The blockade will remain a black point in the history of the Gulf Cooperation Council

Immediate Ending the suffering of the victims is a top priority regardless of efforts and initiatives to solve the crisis politically

A widespread failure and total inability of the Arab and Gulf mechanisms for human rights to redress the victims and provide redress for them

The Cooperation Council is required to review its human rights system, which has failed to stop violations of the rights of peoples

Members of the House of Representatives called on Pompeo to take immediate measures to force the blockading states to stop their punitive measures

Representatives are able to urge the American administration to take measures to stop the 1000-day blockade

The blockading states try to cover up their failure by punishing civilians who are not guilty of a political dispute between governments

Washington on Saturday, February 29, 2020

Dr. Ali bin Smaikh Al-Marri, Chairman of the National Human Rights Committee, called on the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council to assume its responsibilities in dealing with the ongoing humanitarian crisis caused by the blockade of Qatar 1000 days, stressing “the National Committee’s readiness to hand over the new Secretary-General a complete file on the consequences of the siege, And the human suffering it causes 1000 days ago, we hope that it will be ended immediately, as a top priority, regardless of the efforts and initiatives to solve the crisis politically.

In a statement on the sidelines of his visit to the American capital, Washington, Dr. Ali bin Smaikh Al-Marri said: “We hope that H.E. Dr. Nayef Falah M. Al-Hajraf. Secretary General of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, can play an effective role to solve the crisis in its humanitarian aspect in the first place, According his duties and the internal system of the Cooperation Council, and to rectify the failure and total inability of the Gulf and Arab mechanisms for human rights to redress the victims and provide reparations for them since the beginning of the blockade imposed on Qatar since June 2017. ” Al Marri added: “We at the National Human Rights Committee are ready to cooperate with the Secretary-General of the Cooperation Council and deliver a complete file on the humanitarian repercussions of the crisis, including documented violations of the rights of citizens and residents in the State of Qatar and the Gulf states as a whole.” Al Marri stressed that “the blockade will remain a black point in the history of the Gulf Cooperation Council, not only because of its profound humanitarian impact on Gulf society; but also because the Gulf citizens were shocked by the inability of their official institutions to resolve the crisis. Unfortunately, He concluded, “Regardless of the outcomes of the negotiations and the political course of the crisis, the Gulf Cooperation Council should review its human rights system that has failed to address the grave and serious violations of the rights of the peoples of the region.”

Congressional representatives condemn the punishment of civilians on the pretext of a political dispute

On the other hand, Dr. Al-Marri affirmed that members of the U.S. House of Representatives addressed Mr. Michael Richard Pompeo, U.S. Secretary of State, to urge him to move and take effective and immediate measures to stop the blockade imposed on Qatar and put an end to the grave violations affecting citizens and residents of Qatar, pointing out that the deputies In Congress expressed their indignation and rejection of the continuation of punitive measures that affect civilians in the State of Qatar and depriving them of their political rights, under the pretext of a political dispute! Within his series of official meetings in Washington, Dr. Ali bin Smaikh Al-Marri met with a number of members of the U.S. House of Representatives, including Congressman Timothy Floyd Burchett, the oldest member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and member of the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health and Human Rights, Congressman Billy Long, Co-Chair of the US-Qatar Strategic Relations assembly, Congressman Raja Krishenmorte, member of US House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Congressman Jim Langevin, member of the US House Armed Services Committee; Congressman Rick Larsen, member of the US House Armed Services Committee; Congressman Eric Swalwell former presidential candidate and member of the US House Subcommittee on Intelligence Modernisation and Readiness; Congressman Adam Smith, Chairman of the US House Armed Services Committee.

Dr. Al Marri also met with Congressman Alan Lowenthal, executive member of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission. He thanked him for the commission’s positions, calling on the Commission to take more moves and educating the American community about the implications of the blockade imposed on Qatar.

During his meetings with the members of the US House of Representatives, Dr. Al-Marri presented an overview of the repercussions of the blockade, warning of the grave consequences resulting from the continued human suffering of thousands of citizens and residents, not only in Qatar but in all the GCC countries. Responding to questions from members of the US House of Representatives about the moves taken by NHRC, Dr. Al Marri provided an overview of the efforts being made at the judicial and legal levels, pointing out that the NHRC is committed to its promises to the victims not to renounce the prosecution and condemnation of the blockading states until the victims are compensated and provided redress. Al Marri added the people of Qatar have lived through 1,000 days of violations against the Gulf people, intransigence in harming the citizens and residents, and reprisals and collective punishments that the blockading countries failed to find a justification. Al Marri added that it’s hard to assess the extent and nature of damage and suffering of the people of the region as a result of decisions of the blockading countries to cover up their failure by punishing civilians who have nothing to do with political disputes between governments. On the expected role of the House of Representatives of the US Congress to stop the suffering of those affected by the blockade, Dr. Al-Marri said that the representatives of parliaments in the world have a great responsibility to defend people who are subject to serious violations of their rights. Al Marri explained that he visited the US repeatedly and called for making more efforts to urge the US administration to take effective measures and pressure the blockading countries to stop their violations that have lasted for 1,000 days. Al Marri concluded by saying that NHRC looks forward to a greater role for the world’s parliaments to put an end to human rights violations, , affirming our full confidence that the legal measures taken before international bodies will inevitably lead to international condemnation and compensation to the victims.

The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and International Court of Justice will inevitably condemn Riyadh and Abu Dhabi

The Gulf society is shocked by the racist practices of Saudi Arabia and UAE

Cases before the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and the International Court of Justice will demonstrate the discrimination faced by Qataris

The Gulf peoples have been the victims of reprisals since the beginning of the blockade

Legal procedures before international bodies will inevitably lead to international condemnation and compensation to victims

The National Human rights Committee will not allow the loss of the rights of the victims, regardless of the political fate of the crisis

We look for international equity that amounts to suffering

“Human Rights” is committed to its promises to the victims and will not back down from the prosecution and condemnation of the blockading states

The blockade of Qatar affected the human rights situation in the region

The blockade has led to a loss of confidence in regional human rights and conflict resolution mechanisms

Washington Day: Wednesday, February 25, 2020

Dr. Ali bin Smaikh Al-Marri, Chairman of the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) has affirmed the committee’s commitment to continue to take the necessary legal measures necessary to condemn the blockading countries because of their violations that have lasted for 1,000 days, stressing that the blockading countries, especially Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates will not be spared of international condemnation by the committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ), and the two bodies will demonstrate the exposure of Qatari citizens to racial discrimination. Al-Marri stressed that after three years of unjust blockade, the NHRC will not rest until the victims are compensated, regardless of the fate of the crisis politically. This came during Al Marri’s visit to Washington, where he held a series of meetings with officials at the US State Department that included Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near East and International Labour Affairs of the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labour in the State Department and US Deputy Assistant Secretary for Arabian Gulf Affairs at the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs in the State Department Timothy Lenderking.

During his meetings with US State Department officials, Al Marri affirmed that citizens and residents in Qatar have faced racial discrimination, noting that one of the most dangerous aspects of the suffering incurred by Gulf citizens is the obstacles imposed by the blockading states – especially Saudi Arabia and the UAE – on the freedom of movement of people, which did not exclude sick people, children and the elderly, pointing out that undermining the freedom of movement resulted in dispersion of Gulf families, and forcible separation of many families, on the pretext that one of its members holds the Qatari nationality, as well as a violation of the right of Qataris and residents to practice religious rites, causing denial of Haj and Umrah for three consecutive seasons.

Dr. Al-Marri said in Qatar the people are facing an unjust blockade. It is not an exaggeration to say it is among the worst forms of the blockade that targets people, and has deprived thousands of citizens and residents in the Gulf states of their basic rights, foremost of which is the right to health, movement, education, and family reunification, and other fundamental rights that the blockade states continue to violate, disregarding the calls of states, governments, and international human rights organizations, the most recent of which is ICJ’s decision demanding the United Arab Emirates to stop its discriminatory measures against citizens and residents in Qatar, but the Abu Dhabi authorities continue to violate their obligations to the ICJ. He added that the blockade of Qatar affected the human rights situation in the region, and led to a loss of confidence in regional human rights mechanisms and conflict resolution.

Dr. Al-Marri presented an overview of the progress of the cases before the CERD against Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, and the cases brought before the ICJ against Abu Dhabi, stressing that all cases brought before the CERD and the ICJ will demonstrate to the world that what has been practiced against Qataris is racial discrimination. He pointed out that the Gulf community is shocked by these racist practices committed by the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia against citizens and residents of Qatar. He addressed the officials of the US State Department by saying that every year, the US State Department issues a report that records human rights violations in the world, and NHRC demands that the violations of human rights by blockade countries be included in the next report of the US State Department.

Dr. Al-Marri added that these violations have been confirmed by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the European Parliament and many parliaments and human rights organizations in the United States and the world, stressing that it’s necessary to include the violations by the blockade countries in the report of the US State Department on the human rights situation in the world. He explained that condemning human rights violations should not exclude any region in the world, let alone the Middle East and Gulf region saturated with conflicts and disputes and the consequent grave human rights violations that threaten the security and stability of the region, and therefore, the security and stability of the world as a whole. In a related context, Dr. Al-Marri affirmed that the committee urges the Qatari government to continue the reforms it is undertaking to protect and defend the rights of citizens and residents of Qatar alike. During a reception organized in his honor by the US-Qatar Business Council, the NHRC chairman said that protecting the rights of citizens and residents in Qatar is an essential pillar in the work of the NHRC, which has not stopped demanding the Qatari government for further reforms.

On the recent reforms made by the Qatari government to protect the rights of expatriates, he said the International Labor Organization has welcomed the reforms adopted by Qatar for the benefit of expatriate workers. Many human rights organizations have also encouraged the Qatari government to proceed with the reforms approach. He added that the NHRC, on its part, welcomed the reforms and new legislation, and it continues to urge the government through its various reports and recommendations to continue the approach of reforms without stopping. Regarding the rights of workers employed in facilities related to the 2022 Qatar World Cup, Dr. Al-Marri said that they have certainly seen the reports of many human rights organizations that value the measures taken by the Qatari authorities to provide a safe working environment for these workers. The NHRC has always called for improving conditions of residence and the work of these workers, because it is firmly convinced that the rights of workers and the reforms that preserve their dignity must be permanent and lasting even after the World Cup ends. After the blockade, the NHRC faced other challenges in its work for Qataris and residents. Al Marri referred to the recent visit by a delegation from the European Parliament and a delegation from the European Union headed by EU special representative for human rights Eamon Gilmore to a number of the World Cup facilities, and his meetings with workers and officials from various stakeholders in the State of Qatar, such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labor and Social Affairs, the National Human Rights Committee and the International Labor Organization, where Eamon Gilmore expressed appreciation for the efforts made by Qatar to introduce new improvements and legislation to end the sponsorship law to serve the rights of expatriate workers, praising the progress and improvement in the conditions of work and workers in Qatar, pointing out that the NHRC co-ordinates with the European Union, the European Parliament, the United Nations and international organizations on all levels that related to human rights in the State of Qatar, and there is an ongoing discussion between the NHRC and the Qatari government and international bodies. Al Marri also indicated that the NHRC has always welcomed all visits to Doha requested by international organizations.

The State of Qatar is one of the few countries that extended an open invitation to the United Nations Special Rapporteurs to visit Qatar. It has repeatedly welcomed all international organizations to visit Doha to learn about the human rights conditions in it, including meeting representatives of the blockade victims and listening to their testimonies about the suffering they have been subjected to for almost three years.

Meanwhile, Dr. Al-Marri presented during his discussions with the attendees an overview of the repercussions of the blockade that has been going on for 1,000 days, warning of the repercussions resulting from the continued human suffering of thousands of citizens and residents, not only in Qatar, but in all the countries of the Gulf Co-operation Council. He highlighted the need to raise awareness among all societies about the seriousness of the punitive measures taken by the blockading countries, stressing that there is no selectivity in the field of human rights and no calculations, and that violations are stateless, and that the issue of victims is the responsibility of the international community without discrimination. Responding to the inquiries of members of the US-Qatar Business Council regarding the new challenges facing the NHRC as a result of the blockade of Qatar, Dr. Al-Marri said: “The blockade imposed on us new challenges, and the National Human Rights Committee has received multiple complaints from citizens and residents affected by the grave violations imposed by the blockading countries”, but this did not and will not force it to forget the basic role of the NHRC in defending human rights as a whole, including protecting the rights of Qatari citizens and residents, and the rights of expatriate workers in Qatar.

February 19, 2020

Dr. Ali bin Smaikh Al-Marri, Chairman of the National Human Rights Committee, met in his office at the Committee’s headquarters with a delegation from the British Parliament headed by Mr. Alastair Carmichael. The meeting dealt with aspects of cooperation in human rights issues and ways to promote and protect human rights.

Doha: February 18, 2020 AD

Dr. Ali bin Smaikh Al-Marri, Chairman of the National Human Rights Committee, met in his office at the Committee’s headquarters with Ms. Michèle Coninsx, Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate. Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED). The two sides discussed ways to protect human rights and combat extremism and violence, as well as cooperation in various human rights issues. It is noteworthy that Ms. Coninsx is currently the head of the Judicial Cooperation Unit of the European Union and is also the Chair of Eurojust’s Counter Terrorism Team and of the Task Force on the Future of Eurojust.