Arab blockade countries in 'miserable' legal situation, says rights activist

Qatar’s boycotting Arab countries are in a “miserable” legal situation, the head of the London-based Arab Organisation for Human Rights (AOHR), Mohamed Jamil, has said.

Speaking in an interview with Qatar’s Al-Sharq, Jamil praised “the Qatari people’s calmness, patience and wisdom” adding that they have presented an “ideal model” in confronting the blockade.

Jamil noted during his current visit to the Qatari capital of Doha, as part of the British House of Lords’ delegation, that the blockade is having a “brutal” impact on the Qatari citizens, as many of them were affected by the unjust measures taken by the embargoed countries. He praised the government for dealing with the boycott.

The AOHR head pointed out that several legal advices had been submitted to the National Committee for Human Rights in Qatar, including “not to let the US administration intervene, activating the European Union role in the crisis, and consulting the International Court of Justice on the legality of the blockade.”

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He described the siege as “completely illegal,” stressing that it violates the international law.

The human rights activist called on Qatar to sue the boycotting countries at the United Nations (UN) organisations and the international court.

The boycotting countries would be “significantly” impacted if the international court decided that the embargo is illegal, he stressed. “They could be categorised as terrorist countries that practice a repressive behaviour against other states,” Jamil said.

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“These countries could be boycotted by the international community, including the UN Security Council,” he explained.

Jamil called on all the international human rights organisations “to boycott the countries of the blockade,” noting that the crisis have included several violations to the human rights laws. “I’ve met several humanitarian cases that were affected by the blockade.”