Qatar’s ambassador to the Russian Federation Fahad bin Mohammed al-Attiyah said yesterday that the countries enforcing a siege on Qatar have made an unfair decision, particularly when it comes to the blocking of land, sea, and air routes. He added that these moves have had a negative impact on the lives of Qatar’s citizens and residents, and stressed that it’s a clear violation of international law, particularly the closure of airspace. He added that Qatar made a complaint to International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) in that regard.  
The ambassador also said that the blockading countries also issued a strange decision to punish anyone who shows compassion with the State of Qatar, even if it is on social media. Such punishment could mean jail time and bail. He added that this move was a clear violation of freedom of expression in countries that value freedom and respect human rights. He added that these decisions were condemned by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Ambassador al-Attiyah said that the countries also issued a terrorist list of individuals and organisations linking them to Qatar, even though that is the role of the United Nations and the Security Council. He noted that the list was filled with mistakes and contradictions. Qatar Charity, for example, one of the organisations listed, co-operates with the UN and is known globally for its humanitarian aid efforts. Some of the persons named on the list were dead, or who are not even residents of Qatar. He noted that Qatar issued a statement clarifying all those false allegations in detail. 
The ambassador added that Qatar will not retaliate or engage in rhetoric against any of those countries. Instead, it remained committed to the unity of the GCC and stressed that differences can be resolved through dialogue. Qatar also welcomed the Kuwaiti mediation efforts. The envoy stressed that Qatar’s commitment to its values led to panic among the blockading countries, whose positions seemed contradictory. 
Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs described the action as cutting ties rather than a siege. He added that Saudi Arabia was willing to provide Qatar with food products. The ambassador noted that the problem was not with the lack of food products, but with the impact the siege had on the lives of many families. 
He noted that State of Qatar responded to those remarks by highlighting that it doesn’t need aid. The statement said that lifting the siege is what is required, given that there was no basis for it. The ambassador said that the statement led the countries to retreat under the scrutiny of the global public opinion, as it was revealed that their position was fragile. That, in turn, led to a deeper questioning of their actions. 
Ambassador  Fahad added that the absence of any support to these measures inside Qatar proved to everyone that the Qatari people are fully behind its leadership. The ambassador said that this was the main reason behind the failure of the measures taken by those countries. He stressed that the State of Qatar rejects any mandates or interference in its internal or foreign policies. It rejects any allegations related to terrorism, and instead calls for a constructive dialogue related to the security of the GCC.
The envoy said that he sensed a positive stand from the Russian leadership and society towards Qatar. He noted that the Russian people are known to always side with those suffering from injustice. They also understand that such crises were an obstacle to fighting terrorism and to resolving conflicts in countries such as Libya, Syria, and Yemen.


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