Renowned international human rights lawyers and experts, Professors William Schabas and John Dugard will launch in London on Tuesday a report titled “The Qatar Blockade One Year On; Human Rights Violations and Coercive Measures”.
The report, assessing the human rights effects of the blockade after one year, will be submitted to the United Nations and various governments for consideration, with recommendations for the way forward in the region, according to a statement.
“Today will mark one year since Qatar had a strict blockade imposed on it by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt. Amongst the many negative effects of the blockade on Qatar has been the significant impact on the Human Rights of persons living in Qatar as well as in the blockading countries,” the statement said.
The report highlights the main Human Rights violations that are occurring as a consequence of the blockade, these are primarily: A violation on the freedom of movement, separation of families and violations on nationality and country of residence, a violation on the freedom of expression and association, a violation on the right to education, a violation on the right to health, and a violation of economic rights and the right to property.
Professor Schabas said: “The blockade has been widely condemned as a violation of international law. Human rights institutions have been increasingly concerned about the terrible consequences of blockades. They impact upon a range of fundamental rights, including the right to medical care, to education, to freedom of movement, and to freedom of expression. The objective is to bring greater pressure to bear so as to end the blockade and its consequences in terms of the human rights of the people not only of Qatar but of all of the concerned states.”
Professor Dugard said: “This blockade has had many detrimental effects on the life and livelihood of nationals of all five countries as well as those who are resident in them, including migrant workers. We call on the special rapporteur of the Human Rights Council on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights, to immediately assess the situation and decide on a way forward. The blockade is a clear violation of international law in general and of human rights law in particular. It must not be allowed to continue.”
