Doha: The National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) welcomed yesterday the decision of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the indication of provisional measures in accordance with the case brought before the ICJ by the State of Qatar against the United Arab Emirates in accordance with article 22 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, in favour of the citizens and residents of the State of Qatar affected by the discriminatory decisions and actions taken by UAE authorities.
NHRC said in a statement yesterday that the court indicated that the UAE must respect its international obligations and stop the violations immediately. The ruling also stated that the UAE must give the opportunity to students affected by the measures to complete their education or obtain their educational records if they wish to complete their studies elsewhere, and allow the access of the Qataris affected by the said measures to tribunals and other judicial organs of the UAE.
“The court considers as evidenced by the arguments advanced and the documents placed, in particular the report of the technical mission of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and reports of Amnesty International and the National Human Rights Committee in addition to the reported violations raised by The State of Qatar that the measures adopted by the UAE violate the International Convention against All Forms of Racial Discrimination,” the statement added.
Then NHRC said that it considers the ruling a “decisive step” towards the final ruling of the International Court of Justice in order to redress and compensate the victims of those violations for the damages caused to them.
“The NHRC also considers the decision as a form of an international condemnation by the United Nations system of the gross violations committed by the United Arab Emirates,” the statement added. The committee then called on the Qatari people affected by the violations or those who want to go to the UAE in order to rejoin their families, complete their education, obtain their records, or access their property, or even who want to resort to UAE courts to contact the NHRC on: +974 33297777 / +974 33296666.
The committee also highlighted that the decision invalidates the allegations of the UAE and the blockading countries, and proves that the measures taken by them “are forms of collective punishment and discriminatory sanctions against citizens and residents of the State of Qatar as a result of this unjust blockade.”
“The NHRC appreciates the move towards judicial settlement by the Qatari government before the International Court of Justice in order to redress the victims and restore their rights and calls for further judicial movements against all the countries of the blockade,” the statement also said. The National Human Rights Committee then stressed that it will spare no effort to hold the UAE authorities and the blockading countries accountable in all international forums and to determine their international and criminal responsibility.
It also regarded the ruling “as a victory of justice and international law and a key step in combating impunity and determining the international responsibility of the UAE for the grave violations imposed against the Qatari people.”
