UAE rights body slams Qatar’s move to freeze Sheikh Abdullah’s assets

The Emirates Association for Human Rights (EHRA) has condemned the move by Qatari authorities to freeze all assets of ruling family member Sheikh Abdullah bin Ali Al Thani, official news agency WAM reported.

The EHRA dubbed the move as a “flagrant violation of human rights that has become a systematic approach of intimidation adopted by Qatar”.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt severed ties with Qatar on June 5 over its alleged support of terrorism – charges Doha denies.

Earlier this week, it was reported that Qatar froze all the assets and funds of Sheikh Abdullah – who has been calling on Qatari authorities to mend ties with the GCC states.

In a message on Twitter, Sheikh Abdullah said: “The Qatari regime honours me by freezing all of my bank accounts, and I thank them for this honour and I have the honour to present it to the homeland.

“I hope that Qatar will expel opportunists and friends of interests and return to the Gulf embrace,” he added.

Read more: Qatar freezes assets of ruling family member

The EHRA also condemned the Qatari regime’s freezing of the assets of Sheikh Sultan bin Suhaim Al Thani, whose palace was raided last week by the Qatari state security forces.

Qatari officials confiscated around 137 bags, a number of iron boxes containing the documents and holdings of Sheikh Sultan, and large possessions and archives of his father, former foreign minister Suhaim bin Hamad Al Thani, the EHRA said.

According to the report, security agents also went into the private room of Sheikh Mina al-Dosari, the widow of Sheikh Suhaim and the mother of Sheikh Sultan, and confiscated all her personal and family pictures, her jewellery, valuables and money.

During the operations, “minors were subjected to assault, beatings and arrest”, the EHRA alleged.

“These actions fly in the face of all human rights treaties and drive home the fact that Qatar has become a police state that blatantly defies all legal restrictions,” said Mohamed Salim Al Ka’bi, EHRA chairman.