Qatar says blockade by Arab states is collective punishment
GENEVA -- The head of Qatar's human rights committee has denounced moves by several Arab states to isolate his country as "collective punishment" and has appealed to United Nations experts to investigate the impact of the blockade.
Ali Bin Samikh Al-Marri says the isolation of the Persian Gulf emirate is worse than injustices that were imposed by the Berlin Wall.
He spoke on Friday in Geneva, saying his group was taking action through the United Nations and requesting a "fact-finding commission" and deployment of U.N. rights investigators to Qatar.
He appealed to Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and others to lift their measures, which include cutting of diplomatic ties with Qatar and a ban of Qatari planes from the Arab nations' airspace. The Arab states accuse Doha of supporting terrorism.
