A technical delegation from the United Nations will start a five-day visit to Doha today to examine the repercussions of the siege on human rights and hold investigative meetings with different government and non-government entities and institutions.
The delegation will also meet with victims of the siege, collect data from the field about violations and gather evidence and names of the affected, National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) Chairman Dr Ali bin Smaikh al-Marri said.
He said the attention that monitoring missions and international organisations show is a positive indicator but is not enough and needs a strong movement to prevent the Gulf crisis from dragging on, especially after the recent statements by officials from the siege countries that confirm they are trying to prolong it.
Al-Marri made the remarks during a hearing organised by the British parliament in London for the NHRC and Amnesty International, which was represented by deputy head of global issues, James Lynch.
The session discussed the repercussions of the siege on Qatar and the measures that need to be taken in order to alleviate the suffering of those affected.
The NHRC chief praised the British parliamentarians’ positive reaction to those affected by the siege and their rapid engagement with their government.
He called for more pressure from the British government to curb the increasing violations against the citizens and residents of the Gulf region, which escalate everyday due to the siege of Qatar.
Al-Marri said civilians should not be involved by the siege countries in the conflict with Qatar, stressing that these countries should not use people as human shields to achieve political gains.
He briefed the session on developments in the humanitarian crisis affecting the citizens of Qatar and the GCC countries, the increasing violations, and the deliberate intent of the siege countries to prolong the crisis.
The NHRC chief noted that the committee has recently reported statements of senior officials admitting to the siege and boasting about it at their official and non-official media platforms.
Al-Marri said he was conveying the “pain and hopes of thousands of affected people” to the British parliament, and carrying a message from those affected after six months of siege.
“They demand that the international community put an end to their suffering and they affirm that the free world cannot remain idle when the siege countries are playing with the fate of citizens and residents of Qatar”
The NHRC chairman referred to the losses sustained by Qatari property owners and investors who lost all what they have in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, reaffirming that the rights of Qatari investors cannot be violated openly without any regard to international trade standards.
He said the siege countries tried to use politics to starve citizens, but the Qatari government has taken measures to tackle the situation.
Al-Marri pointed out that there are many violations that remain unresolved such as families being split, violation of freedom of movement and the right to practice religious rites, and require international pressure.
He noted that the siege countries used the tools of intimidation and threats to punish GCC citizens and residents as a means to achieving political objectives, which is contrary to the principles of human rights conventions and charters.
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