Any negotiations should be preceded by an immediate lifting of arbitrary measures as a gesture of goodwill
We welcome any initiatives towards a quick resolution of the blockade crisis on Qatar with the priority of the humanitarian situation
Demanding the extradition of dissidents violates human rights conventions and the principles and values of American society
Dr. Al Marri holds a seminar at the Qatar American Center in the presence of the US Assistant Secretary of State
Dr. Al-Marri rejects any restrictions on satellite channels
President of the National Human Rights Committee: Al-Jazeera stands accused since its inception
Washington, March 13, 2018







Dr. Ali bin Smaikh Al Marri, president of the National Human Rights Committee in Qatar, welcomed initiatives to resolve the blockade crisis on Qatar and return life to its natural course in the Gulf region, stressing the importance of any settlement of the issue and the immediate lifting of unilateral arbitrary measures as a gesture of goodwill, calling for the establishment of a comprehensive compensation mechanism, including the establishment of a fund for this purpose. This came during meetings held today by Dr. A Marri with members of the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, and at the Qatar American institute in the presence of Tim Linder King, US Assistant Secretary of State for Arab Gulf Affairs, as well as a number of experts on Middle East issues, academics and media professionals. Al-Marri stressed the importance of considering the situation of the urgent cases and work to reunite the families who were dispersed during this crisis, which exceeded nine months, as well as the immediate lifting of obstacles that limit the performance of rituals and religious rites for citizens and residents of Qatar, in addition to allowing owners to dispose of their properties. Al-Marri warned that prolonging the crisis will deepen the social fabric and leads to the loss of confidence and security, especially after the irresponsible statements of some leaders of the blockading countries, which went so far as to threaten the continuation of the crisis for years.
On the blockade crisis on the State of Qatar, Al-Marri said that the blockading countries targeted innocent civilians, affecting families, patients, students and migrant workers in Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, noting that there are thousands of mixed families involving citizens of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain. Moreover, more than 3,000 students studying outside their home countries are affected, this is in addition to preventing Qatari citizens and residents by the Saudi authorities from entering Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj and Umrah.
The President of the National Human Rights Committee said that since the first day of the blockade, the committee has moved on wide ranges to explain the damage caused by the blockade at the international and tribal levels.
Al Marri added: “We have found a great response by officials in European governments and parliaments as well as the great response of the US administration, the US Senate, think tanks and academics in the United States, apart from the great role played by international organizations, especially the United Nations, and we are confident that when it comes to human rights, the free world will serve as a Trojan horse to lift the flagrant abuses that people can face anywhere, anytime.
Regarding Al-Jazeera, Al-Marri stressed his total rejection of all attempts to put restrictions on satellite channels. Al Marri added “this is unacceptable and contrary to the freedom of expression, the right to receive information, this will support one of the demands of the countries of the blockade calling for the closure of Al-Jazeera, which was rejected by the international community; Al-Jazeera has been receiving various accusations since its establishment. The question of freedom of opinion and expression was a matter of principle. It could not be argued that if a channel conducted interviews with armed groups, it would promote or adopt the ideas of those groups”. Dr. Ali reviewed the situation of the repercussions of the blockade on Qatar, calling for the need to move quickly to urge the parties to the crisis to resolve the humanitarian consequences of the Gulf citizen and residents in the region, pointing out that the continuation of this crisis will not only affect the citizens of the GCC countries, but also the millions of residents and workers, which will affect the economic and social conditions and foreign investment in the region, where it will push the region into a state of instability.
At the same context, Al-Marri said that the measures taken against the State of Qatar, which led to its blockade, are based on demands that violate international law, especially those relating to the closure of channels and the demand to extradite opponents, noting that such demands not only violate human rights conventions but also violate the principles and values of American society. “International law does not allow the extradition of people to countries where they believe they will be subjected to torture or unfair trials,” Al Marri said. The demand for the closure of satellite channels is also a violation of the right to freedom of expression and a clear violation of the fundamental rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the right to freedom of opinion and expression and the protection of the press and journalists.
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