Al-Ghofran tribe files UN complaint against ‘crimes committed by Qatar’

The UN headquarters in Geneva on Monday received a complaint against Qatari authorities for committing a series of crimes, including stripping the nationalities of members of the al-Ghofran tribe and expelling them from the country, demanding urgent intervention to help them restore their rights.

The complaint was brought to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, days after a meeting held by dignitaries of the tribe to discuss the response to the arbitrary measures taken by Doha against them.

The Qatari authorities have taken steps to collectively revoke the nationalities of thousands from the al-Ghofran clan, a branch of the al-Murrah tribe, including their children.

Tribal leaders called on Qatar to respect international conventions on human rights.

The complaint
The complaint detailed how in 1996 Qatari authorities arrested and detained many members of the Ghufran tribe. It stated that the brutal methods used to torture the vicims led in some cases to memory loss and psychological disorders.

It further stated that in 2000, the Qatari government began to revoke nationalities from tribe members and deported them to neighboring countries preventing any chance for their return to their homeland.

In 2005, the complaint added, Qatari authorities ordered the withdrawal of the citizenships of 6,000 tribe members including women and children.

The tribe members appealed in the complaint to the UNHCR to help them attain their rights.

It also called for the need to take action against persons involved torture and humiliation acts for the members held in detention.

source: Alarabiya