Washington: National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) Chairman Dr Ali bin Sumaikh Al Marri said that the siege countries violated the basic principles of human rights, which may affect the stability and security of the region and threaten international peace and security.
Al Marri, who is currently visiting Washington, said that the principles of human rights are the redlines that should not be exceeded, no matter how much the differences at the political level, calling on the UN relevant agencies and international organisations to act quickly to contain these violations so as the humanitarian situation will not be worsen. He added that the US administration and other countries must stop the violations before talking about political mediation and solutions and put the human rights file on the priority of political agendas, calling for the need not to prolong the tragedy of people under any pretext.
Al Marri pointed out that the National Human Rights Committee has affirmed in many international forums organised in the short past periods on the equation of integration between respect for human dignity and the need for security stability.
Al Marri stressed that the State of Qatar did not block the satellite channels of the siege countries and that it does not reciprocate in the areas of violations because the issue of the respect of the principles of human rights is firmly established in democratic countries, adding that "What we do not accept for our people can not be accepted for other peoples."
NHRC Chairman also extended an open invitation to all media representatives and press personalities in Washington to attend the international conference organised by the NHRC on July 24 and 25 in Doha under the theme "Freedom of Expression: Towards Confronting Risk" in partnership with the International Federation of Journalists and the International Press Institute.
Over 200 international media organisations and figures will participate in the conference to come out with recommendations to give more freedom of opinion and expression and guarantees to hold accountable perpetrators of crimes against journalists and promoters of hate and incitement speech, as well as to identify mechanisms to ensure impunity, Al Marri said.
Al Marri reviewed the types and statistics of violations monitored by the NHRC since the beginning of the siege crisis relating to violations of the rights to private property, family reunification, the right to movement, health, education and freedom of religious practices. He also noted to the legal approach taken by the Committee in handling those violations.
NHRC Chairman has met in Washington with Director of the US Security Project Peter Choharis. He also met with Vice-President of the International Center for Journalists Sharon Moshavi to discuss the latest crisis in the siege on the State of Qatar and its citizens and residents and its implications in the human rights situation, as well as violations of the international treaties, charters and conventions.
Al Marri met with a number of US officials and briefed them on Qatar's siege from the perspective of international law and human rights conventions.
NHRC Chairman held two seminars at the National Press Club in Washington. The first seminar was attended by several representatives of major media institutions, press dignitaries and representatives of media organisations and unions. He addressed in the second seminar more than 100 personalities, including a selection of politicians, academics and leaders of US research centers as part of the media campaign to uncover the violations of the siege countries.
During the two seminars, he gave a detailed explanation on the repercussions of the siege crisis on the human rights situation in the Gulf region.
He also noted to the violation of the right of freedom of opinion and expression by the siege countries which demanded the closure of the Al-Jazeera satellite network and its satellite channels, considering this demand as one of the strangest demands that violate free media in the 21st century.
