Qatar alleges Arab quartet of violating international law over diplomatic blockade; pressurizes UN for action

Geneva, September 12: Qatar on Monday slammed the Arab quartet of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt of violating international law and human rights over the blockade and asked United Nations to take stringent against it.

 

Notably, Qatar's foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said, “The blockade by neighbouring Gulf countries violates international law and human rights and the United Nations needs to take action against the Saudi-led bloc.”

Speaking on the occasion, Minister Al-Thani slammed the Arab quartet said Qatar faced numerous challenges because of the "illegal imposition" by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain after accusing Doha of funding "terrorism". He also said that over 26,000 cases filed with Qatar's National Human Rights Committee over the blockade and therefore measures should be taken against Arab quartet by the international community.

Al-Thani further noted that these four Gulf countries have taken illegal measures that constitute a grave violation of civil, economic and social human rights, including banning Qatari citizens travelling or transiting through their territories. "This has torn apart many families and has interrupted education and the right to work in Qatar," Al-Thani accused.

On June 5 of this year, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Egypt and several other nations cut ties with Qatar and imposed stringent economic sanctions on it over supporting extremism. On the other side, Qatar denied all their allegations saying that they never supported Islamist militants and Shi'ite Iran.

Later, Saudi and its allies issued a 13-point list of demands to end the rift on June 22 and gave Qatar 10 days to comply. However, earlier Qatar rejected to fulfil the demands. From then, the verbal spat between quartet and Qatar continues on various occasions.