National Human Rights Committee Chairman Dr Ali bin Smaikh al-Marri has urged the Spanish government to put more pressure on the blockading countries to force them to end their grave violations of human rights.

The NHRC chief also urged them to give the siege priority in their official meetings and diplomatic relations with those countries and to force them to lift the embargo immediately and unconditionally.
Dr al-Marri called on the House of Representatives and the Senate in Spain to send a parliamentary mission to Qatar to find out the siege countries' violations and to organise a hearing session at the Spanish Parliament, in the presence of representatives of international human rights organisations.
This came during a meeting of the NHRC chairman in Madrid with Spanish government officials, parliamentarians, human rights figures as well as officials of international human rights organisations, journalists and opinion leaders, and editors of Spanish newspapers.
Dr al-Marri praised the understanding of Spanish government officials of the negative and humanitarian effects of the blockade, and the keenness of the Spanish parliamentarians, human rights organisations and the Spanish media, who had confirmed their readiness to double the pressure on the siege countries.
In this regard, during his meeting with Director of Human Rights Department at the Spanish Foreign Ministry Adela D, Dr al-Marri called on the Spanish government to exert more pressure on the governments of the four countries and to compel them to comply with calls from the international community to lift the unjust and illegal siege imposed on the citizens and residents of Qatar.
He stressed the need to raise the serious humanitarian crisis during the official meetings of the Spanish government with the governments of the siege countries.
Al-Marri also held a meeting with Pilar Rojo, Chairperson of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Spanish House of Representatives, and a similar meeting with Manuel G. A, Chairman of the Spanish Senate Justice Committee.
During the two meetings, al-Marri reiterated his confidence in the role that parliamentarians can play locally and regionally and within the European Parliament to put an end to the serious violations caused by the blockade .
He called on members of the House of Representatives and the Senate to send a parliamentary mission to Doha to identify themselves the serious violations of human rights, and to hold direct meetings with those affected by the siege, as done by representatives of the British Parliament, and members of Congress and the representatives of many international human rights organisations.
He also called on the Spanish parliamentarians to open a debate within the parliament, and organise a hearing session in the presence of some of those affected by the siege, and human rights organisations that visited Doha to review the effects of human tragedy.
The NHRC chief briefed the Spanish public attorney of the repercussions of the siege and its dangerous humanitarian impact as well as efforts of the committee since the beginning of the crisis, particularly to bring voices of those affected by the siege to the public attention at different international platforms.
He asked the attorney to raise the issue of the unjust siege in the parliament and during meetings with Spanish government officials, praising at the same time the status of the public attorney and his role in the promotion and protection of human rights.
In addition, al-Marri met with representatives of human rights organisations in Madrid and briefed them of the grave violations that citizens and residents of Qatar have been suffering for nearly five months under the siege in defiance of all international conventions and appeals by the international community and human rights organisations.

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