Foreign Minister: Qatar’s Bias Towards Human Rights

Qatar’s Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani has underlined that Qatar’s national, regional and international bias towards human rights, public opinion and the right of peoples to self-determination is one of the most important reasons for attempts to impose guardianship on it and to influence its foreign policy independence and its media.

Addressing the 36th Session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva today, HE the Foreign Minister reiterated Qatar’s readiness to dialogue to end the Gulf crisis, within the framework of mutual respect and preservation of the sovereignty of the States, away from dictates, but in the form of compromises resulting in mutual collective obligations.

HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani expressed Qatar’s appreciation and support for the Kuwaiti mediation, which is being carried out by HH the Emir Sheikh Sabah Al Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah to end the crisis.

HE the Foreign Minister affirmed Qatar’s firm belief in the dialogue to resolve the crisis, despite the depth of the wound in the hearts of the Qatari people, which was caused by the policies the siege countries , despite the low level of media discourse of the countries of the blockade and the policy of spreading lies and fabrications, and despite the official discourse of some officials of the siege countries of respected international diplomatic framework to an unprecedented level, even in their speeches towards those who consider them their enemies.

HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said that the use of force policy in all its forms in domestic and foreign policy is a major reason for the waste of justice in the international system, which reflects negatively on the respect and protection of human rights as well as the threat of security, peace and peaceful coexistence in the international community.

HE the Minister of Foreign Affairs noted that the State of Qatar has been subjected to exceptional circumstances and challenges for more than three months as a result of an illegal siege imposed by a number of countries which clearly violate international human rights laws and conventions, in particular the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the United Nations General Assembly resolution, the outcomes of the World Summit of 16 September 2005, the provisions of international law and the rules governing relations between States.

He pointed out that this crisis began with the crime of hacking the website of the Qatar News Agency and spreading false news attributed to HH the Emir of the State of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, followed by malicious media campaigns against the State of Qatar, and false accusations are not based on any evidence that the State of Qatar funds terrorism, stressing that all this confirms the existence of political intent built behind piracy.

HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said that the siege countries had closed since the first day air, sea and land borders in violation of the provisions of international law and international trade rules, which had a negative impact on the freedom of trade and investment, noting that these countries had taken many illegal measures that constitute a grave violation of civil, economic and social rights, including prohibiting the entry of Qatari citizens into or passing through their countries, as well as preventing their citizens from traveling to or residing in Qatar.

He added that these measures led to the dispersal of many families and their members, especially women and children, and the deprivation of many Qatari students of their right to continue their education in universities after being expelled from them. Many other basic rights and freedoms, such as the right to work for the siege countries citizens working in Qatar, who had been forced to return home, the right to own private property, both for Qatari citizens in the siege countries or for nationals of these countries in Qatar, and freedom of movement, noting that these violations are still ongoing.

Source: Fana News