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The chair of the European Parliament’s Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI), Pier Antonio Panzeri, said on Saturday that he intends to discuss at Parliament the repercussions of the blockade imposed on Qatar and human rights violations which have resulted.
Speaking at a press conference in Doha, Panzeri said that Qatar’s continued reform approach with regards to human rights strengthens its position in international forums.
“During our visit to Qatar, at the invitation of the National Human Rights Commission, we saw positive developments in the field of human rights; some have been achieved while others are still underway.”
READ: A US-Gulf summit will not ease the blockade against Qatar
“We encourage Qatar to continue with these reforms, and we welcome its accession to several international conventions relating to the protection and promotion of human rights, including a partnership agreement between the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs and the International Labour Organisation,” he said.
The European Parliament official added: “The siege as a general policy is a destructive action”, noting that his visit to Qatar allowed him to listen directly to the victims of the siege and to testimonies by those affected by it.
On 5 June last year, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt cut diplomatic ties with Qatar and imposed a blockade, alleging that it sponsors terrorism. The government in Doha denies the charges.
