Qatar arrests 20 opponents from al-Thani ruling family

French magazine Le Point as revealed that authorities in Qatar have arrested at least 20 members of ruling al-Thani family for their opposition to the policies of Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad regarding the ongoing diplomatic and economic crisis the country is facing.

Details of the arrest were reported in an article on Le Point International titled: “The Emir of Qatar imprisons members of his ruling family”. The magazine said it obtained its information from a French citizen currently being detained in Qatar.

According to Le Point, 20 members were arrested and are being punished for showing support toward the Anti-Terror Quartet boycotting countries, expressing their dissatisfaction and rejection of the current policies followed by Qatar’s emir and his government.

The magazine obtained their information via direct contact with Jean-Pierre Marongiu, chairman of a French company currently being detained in Doha for the past four years for writing bad cheques, a charge he has denied.

"They arrested about twenty people. In my block, there are six members of the Al-Thani family,” he said.

At least four members were identified in the piece: Sheikh Talal bin Abdulaziz bin Ahmed bin Ali Al-Thani, Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalifa bin Jassem bin Ali Al-Thani, Sheikh Ali bin Fahd bin Jassem bin Ali Al-Thani and Sheikh Nasser bin Abdullah bin Khalifa bin Ali Al-Thani.

All four members belong to the Bin Ali branch of the al-Thanis.

According to the detainees, they were arrested for their direct relation to Sheikh Abdullah bin Ali Al-Thani, who has advocated for a national meeting to discuss the ongoing crisis involving Qatar’s support and financing of terrorism.

These arrests reveal an increasing state of tension and anxiety in Doha as well as a growing in numbers of those within the opposition movement expressed by Sheikh Abdullah bin Ali al-Thani and Sheikh Sultan bin Suhaim Al-Thani.

source: Alarabiya