UN Expert: Lift Sanctions Against Qatar Immediately
DOHA (Al Jazeera) – An independent United Nations expert has urged countries which are blockading Qatar as part of a regional dispute led by Saudi Arabia to "immediately” lift all sanctions against Doha, condemning the punitive measures as a violation of human rights.
In a report published on Thursday, UN Special Rapporteur on the negative effects of sanctions on human rights, Alena Douhan, called for the blockading nations to "immediately withdraw all sanctions/measures aimed at establishing restrictions on freedom of expression, movement, access to property, trade barriers, and ban tariffs, quotas, non-tariff measures … for people living in Qatar in violation of international legal standards”.
"Measures directly affecting fundamental human rights shall not be used as the means of influencing the government,” she said.
In 2017 an air, land and sea blockade was imposed on Qatar by four Arab countries – Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. The blocking states cut diplomatic and trade ties with Doha, claiming that it supported "terrorism”.
Qatar has vehemently rejected the claims and said there was "no legitimate justification” for severing relations.
The special rapporteur’s condemnation came as she considers any unilateral measures to be illegal "if they have significantly detrimental and disproportional impacts on the enjoyment of fundamental human rights”.
The report also highlighted the wrongful treatment of Qataris expelled by the boycotting countries at the start of the blockade, which interrupted family relations, work and study.
In this regard, Douhan is "still concerned about the numerous substantiated reports that unilateral sanctions discriminated and continue to discriminate against Qataris,” she said, adding that such measures represent a pattern of "persistent and systematic human rights violations”.
As conditions to lift the blockade three years ago, the four countries issued a list of demands to be carried out within 10 days, which Qatar promptly rejected.
The special rapporteur found the request to shut down the Qatari news outlet, Al Jazeera, "unacceptable and contrary to international human rights law” and said it creates a "chilling effect that stifles civil society as well as provokes uncertainty and fear among writers and journalists”.
In a report published on Thursday, UN Special Rapporteur on the negative effects of sanctions on human rights, Alena Douhan, called for the blockading nations to "immediately withdraw all sanctions/measures aimed at establishing restrictions on freedom of expression, movement, access to property, trade barriers, and ban tariffs, quotas, non-tariff measures … for people living in Qatar in violation of international legal standards”.
"Measures directly affecting fundamental human rights shall not be used as the means of influencing the government,” she said.
In 2017 an air, land and sea blockade was imposed on Qatar by four Arab countries – Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. The blocking states cut diplomatic and trade ties with Doha, claiming that it supported "terrorism”.
Qatar has vehemently rejected the claims and said there was "no legitimate justification” for severing relations.
The special rapporteur’s condemnation came as she considers any unilateral measures to be illegal "if they have significantly detrimental and disproportional impacts on the enjoyment of fundamental human rights”.
The report also highlighted the wrongful treatment of Qataris expelled by the boycotting countries at the start of the blockade, which interrupted family relations, work and study.
In this regard, Douhan is "still concerned about the numerous substantiated reports that unilateral sanctions discriminated and continue to discriminate against Qataris,” she said, adding that such measures represent a pattern of "persistent and systematic human rights violations”.
As conditions to lift the blockade three years ago, the four countries issued a list of demands to be carried out within 10 days, which Qatar promptly rejected.
The special rapporteur found the request to shut down the Qatari news outlet, Al Jazeera, "unacceptable and contrary to international human rights law” and said it creates a "chilling effect that stifles civil society as well as provokes uncertainty and fear among writers and journalists”.