A video posted on social media has gone viral as it shows a Qatari man being insulted, interrogated, beaten and strangled by a group of young people in Saudi Arabia.
In the footage, the man identified as Hamad al-Marri appears to have been kidnapped and brought to a deserted place with his hands tied behind his back. He is seen kneeling on the sand and being interrogated and finally thrown on the ground. The dialect of the interrogators indicates they are from Saudi Arabia.
Among the questions posed to the man is whether he had cursed Saudi Arabia, to which he replied that he was a Qatari and had nothing to do with politics and he never cursed Saudi Arabia.
The same man had earlier appeared in a newscast on Saudi official television Al-Ekhbariya, during Haj. He is shown holding a flower on the Al-Ekhbariya screen with a caption saying “Al-Ahsa airport receives the first batch of Qatari pilgrims”. Apparently, the interrogation and assault happened after he was abducted following his arrival in Saudi Arabia for Haj.
Instances of death threats and cases of attacks on Qataris have increased recently. Analysts attribute the surge in hate crimes to the incitement campaign run by the media of the siege nations.
Al-Marri on arrival at Al-Ahsa for Haj. Al-Marri is seen thrown to the ground.
