Geneva / Information Office / February 28  

The State of Qatar has called on the Human Rights Council and its affiliated mechanisms to pay adequate attention to the violations of the siege countries and to immediately end them, hold those responsible accountable and to compensate those affected in a fair manner.

This came in a statement presented by the Permanent mission of the State of Qatar to the United Nations Office at Geneva today at the 37th Human Rights Council Session in response to the statement made by the Permanent Representative of the United Arab Emirates on behalf of the four siege countries to statement delivered by HE Qatar's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs last Monday.

Talal Al-Na'ama, Third Secretary of the Permanent Delegation of the State of Qatar, said in the statement: "The siege countries had failed to provide any real evidence based on solid allegations about Qatar's support for terrorism, and failed to provide justifications and legal arguments for its coercive measures which are considered collective punishment".

He stressed that the measures taken by the four countries against the State of Qatar last June were unilateral coercive measures in contravention of the principles of international law, international human rights law and the Charter of the United Nations.

This description of these measures were clearly highlighted in a report issued by the technical mission of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, which visited Qatar last November to qet acquainted with all the facts and met with the victims affected by these measures and thus concluded this description, he added.

Al-Na'ama, stressed that these unilateral coercive measures and the siege, as indicated in the report of the Technical Mission, have resulted in widespread violations of civil, economic, social and cultural rights and are still ongoing.

He pointed out that the countries of the blockade insist on continuing to market allegations against the State of Qatar .. They also want to use the issue of terrorism to mislead the international community about its intentions and illegal and inhuman actions against the State of Qatar, and flagrantly violated many laws and human rights conventions, he added.

He said that the efforts of the State of Qatar in the fight against terrorism are clear and well known to all, and in all relevant international forums and forums, Qatar is an active member in these efforts and participates financially, politically and militarily.

Al-Na'ama called on the Human Rights Council and its mechanisms to promote universal respect for all human rights values and principles on an equal basis by giving due attention to these violations and to immediately end them, hold those responsible accountable and compensate those affected fairly.