In a statement, NHRC pointed out that Saudi authorities prevented Qatar’s pilgrims from entering Saudi Arabia during the last month of Ramadan to perform Umrah and forced those inside the kingdom to leave without completing the rituals, besides the obstacles placed by these authorities for those wishing to perform Haj.
It said that the complaints made by the organisers of Haj and Umrah in Qatar about the harassment and difficulties, as well as the prohibition of remittance transactions by the Saudi authorities between the Qatari organisers and the Saudi Umrah agents authorised to grant Umrah permits, emphasise the continuation of politicising the religious rituals by the Saudi authorities, in violation of Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 30 of the Arab Charter on Human Rights, Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Article 6 of the Gulf Co-operation Council Human Rights Declaration.
The NHRC renewed its call to the competent authorities in Saudi Arabia not to use religious rites as a political leverage.
