(MENAFN- The Peninsula) By Irfan Bukhari / The Peninsula
International human rights and media organisations yesterday unanimously condemned the demand of shutting down Al Jazeera by the blockading countries terming the call a clear violation of international declarations on freedom of expressions.
Dr Ali bin Samikh Al Marri, Chairman of National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) called on the international community to bear its moral and legal responsibility in face of the blatant violation that the Qatari people were being subjected to due to blockade imposed on their country. He was addressing the opening session of two-day conference titled 'Freedom of expression: Facing up to the threat being organized in Doha.
The conference is being organised in collaboration with the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), the International Press Institute (IPI) and with support from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and Human Rights Watch (HRW).
Meanwhile, addressing the opening session of the conference, Executive Director of Human Rights Watch (HRW), Kenneth Roth questioned Saudi Arabia's allegations leveled against Qatar of 'funding terrorism saying that the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen was the reason for the 'death of and starvation of Yemenis and had caused a huge humanitarian suffering in the country and spread of cholera. 'We don't talk about government terrorism such as the Saudi-led coalition that is killing people in Yemen, Kenneth Roth said, adding: 'I am not aware of Qatar financing terrorist groups, but I am aware of the long-term Saudi promotion of an extreme version of Islam that is often adopted by terrorist groups.
Dr Al Marri said that it was unacceptable to impose mass sanctions against civilians or journalists on basis of political differences. 'Conditioning the lifting of the siege to the closure of media outlets, including Al Jazeera and some TV channels, is aggression on all values and principles and human rights agreements.
He noted that the participation of more than 200 international rights groups, press syndicates, think-tanks and universities was a clear evidence of the support for Qatar against any demands or calls to restrict freedom of opinion and expression and the harassment and targeting of journalists.
Dr Al Marri further noted that the siege countries had manipulated the lives of thousands of people, disrupted family reunification, deprived children of their parents, undermined the social fabric of Gulf communities, damaged the income sources of many employees and workers, and destroyed the future of students by expelling them from universities and disrupted their education.
'The siege countries also punished their citizens for expressing their views on the siege in a peaceful manner, or simply by showing sympathy with the Qatari people, Dr Al Marri said. He said the siege countries had prevented Qatari citizens and residents of Qatar from performing rituals in Mecca.
In his address, Mohammed Ali Alnsour, Chief of Middle East and North Africa at the OHCHR, said that after seven decades after the Universal Declaration of Human Rights several countries were far from implementing those principles.
He said that freedom of expression was one of the comprehensive rights and consisted of many elements such as the freedom of press and freedom of access to information.
John Yearwood, President of the International Press Institute (IPI), condemned calls to shut down Al Jazeera. 'Journalists' rights are human rights and vice versa. The demand by the Gulf countries to shut down Al Jazeera is an example of the challenges journalists are facing in the region, he added.
'We must continue to speak truth to power even when it's inconvenient. We can all learn from how Al Jazeera stood up to the Saudi-led coalition, said Yearwood.
Younes M'Jahed, Senior Vice-President of International Federation of Journalists, said that IFJ's participation in the conference was its duty to express solidarity with journalists facing harassment. M'Jahed stressed that the Arab world was in dire need of free and democratic media.
Giacomo Mazzone, Head of European Broadcasting Union (EBU) said that the provision of high-quality, independent news was at the top of EBU priorities. Mazzone added that any call to shut down any media house was unacceptable.
Kenneth Roth, Executive Director of Human Rights Watch, said that freedom of expression was at the core of the crisis being faced by Qatar. 'The crisis is an opportunity for Qatar to to lead the region in human rights, he added.
'The current crisis is all about freedom of expression and freedom of media. Al Jazeera has become a voice for the marginalized everywhere, he added.
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