Members of the US Congress have shown keen interest in discussing the siege-related human rights violations on the floor of the House, Chairman of Qatar’s  National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) Dr Ali bin Smaikh al-Marri has said.
Dr al-Marri has met a number of US Congress members and briefed them about the various violations of human rights that followed the unjust blockade of Qatar since June 5.
Among the members of the US House of Representatives that he met are Mike Capuano, Stephen Lynch, David Cicilline and Nita Lowey. He gave them detailed accounts of the violations of human rights by the siege countries and the deprivation suffered by the  citizens and residents of Qatar as well as the citizens of the Gulf States (Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain). Even the most important of their fundamental rights, like the right to education, transportation, treatment, family reunification and the performance of religious rites have been violated, he said.
After the meetings, the NHRC chairman said he had noted the remarkable interest of the US Congress members and their deep concern over the problems faced by citizens and residents of Qatar and the three Gulf states due to the unjust siege.
He also praised their response and keenness to put human rights violations on the table of Congress , “in absolute agreement to the rejection of  involving citizens and residents in political conflicts, or taking them hostage to any political strife”.
Dr al-Marri said the series of intensive meetings in Washington, DC, with a number of representatives of both the Republican and Democratic parties were  fruitful .
In this context Dr al-Marri also met with  two  Republican Congressmen Trent Franks and Gus Bilirakis, and held a discussion session with the Chairman of the “Tom Lantos” Human Rights Commission in the US Congress James McGovern. He also held talks with officials of the Foreign Relations Committee of Congress and the Robert F Kennedy Human Rights Foundation.
“The intense momentum of these meetings reflects the NHRC’s keenness to diffuse these documented reports on the grave human rights violations.”