Despite their official entry, Saudi authorities forcibly detain two Qatari nationals

Imad Murad-Doha

Qatari national Ali Nasser Ali Jarallah, 70, and his son Abdul Hadi, 17, have been forcibly disappeared in Saudi Arabia since August 18, the National Human Rights Commission (NCHR) said on Tuesday.

The Committee said in a statement on Wednesday that it had received confirmed information from reliable sources on the enforced disappearance of a Qatari citizen and his son in Saudi Arabia, after they entered the Kingdom under a family permit last Thursday.

According to information received by the National Committee, they were forcibly disappeared last Sunday at 1 pm, in the eastern region of Saudi Arabia, where they were arrested by the authorities there, and were hidden in an unknown location.

The National Committee condemned this action, which violates all international and regional covenants, especially Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and Article 14 of the Arab Charter on Human Rights, for its clear violation of their rights to freedom and security.

It also expressed concern about this enforced disappearance, especially as the Saudi authorities have recently pursued a policy of enforced disappearance of a number of Qatari citizens since the imposition of the blockade on the State of Qatar on June 5, 2017.

The committee held the Saudi authorities fully responsible for the life and physical and health of the Qatari citizen and his son, demanding the need to disclose their fate and release them immediately.

The Qatari National Human Rights Committee urgently called on the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Enforced Disappearance Team and the UN Human Rights Council to intervene immediately to stop these grave and systematic violations against Qatari citizens.

With the announcement of the arrest of Qatari citizens today, the Saudi authorities have arrested six Qatari nationals since the outbreak of the Gulf crisis resulting from the announcement of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain as well as Egypt, severing diplomatic relations with Qatar, and imposing a land, air and sea blockade on Doha.