National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) affirmed that the list of demands submitted by the siege countries to the State of Qatar, and circulated by some media outlets, contain conditions that violate human rights conventions and other relevant international and regional agreements.
In a statement issued today, NHRC said that "At the time when we were waiting for lifting the illegal siege on the citizens of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states on the occasion of Eid Al Fitr and for addressing the flagrant violations they have been subject to, the Gulf and international communities were surprised by a list of demands that contains conditions violating human rights conventions and other international and regional agreements."
The NHRC noted that it is following with great concern what has been circulated through the media and news agencies about these demands submitted to the State of Qatar by the siege countries, stressing that the lifting of the siege can not be subject to restrictions or conditions because it is in contravention of international agreements and human rights conventions. It should therefore be lifted immediately and unconditionally, the Committee added.
NHRC also pointed out that some of the conditions in the list of demands related to gross violations of human rights such as the right to freedom of opinion and expression, the right to nationality and the right to asylum.
It warned that the condition of closure of Al Jazeera and its channels contradicts all human rights conventions that provide for freedom of opinion and expression as well as the protection of journalists, such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and other instruments issued by UNESCO in addition to the decisions of international human rights conferences.
