Claims Committee receives over 2,940 cases from NHRC

Secretary-General at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr Ahmed bin Hassan al-Hammadi, who is also a member of the Compensation Claims Committee, has said the panel has received 2,945 individual cases from the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC).He also noted that there are 600 files with Qatar Chamber pertaining to traders.In statements to Al Jazeera, Dr al-Hammadi said the committee receives about 100-160 complaints and 60 calls a day, for sorting and referral to competent local and international courts.The official recalled that the Compensation Claims Committee was formed on July 9 under the chairmanship of HE the Attorney General Dr Ali bin Fetais al-Marri to consider pleas for compensation and referring cases to courts.He explained that the committee has been divided into three sections: the first is to examine citizens’ complaints about violations of human rights or individual damage; the second is for traders affected by the closure of land, sea and air borders, and the third is for government institutions affected by the blockade.“We have contracted with law firms in Switzerland, Britain and the US,” the secretary-general said, explaining that the State is responsible for the case fees and lawyers’ charges.“We are suing those who have caused this damage. Suppose the cause of the damage is a Saudi or Emirati company. We are suing this company, demanding compensation and pursuing it for execution either in the State, at courts in their countries or in international courts,” he said.Furrther, he noted that the NHRC receives all complaints of affected individuals, such as violation of human rights, to raise them before international bodies for condemnation, denunciation and to put pressure on the blockading countries.Dr al-Hammadi said the unjust siege imposed on Qatar and the closure of air, land and sea borders have caused considerable material and moral damage to citizens, adding that the damage has also been caused to institutions such as Qatar Airways and shipping companies.“We have resorted to civil aviation organisations in co-ordination with the Ministry of Transport and Communications,” he said, noting that the International Civil Aviation Organisation “would decide on July 31 a request for Qatar Airways to cross international airspace”.He said the siege countries claim that they have prevented Qatar Airways from using their airspace on the basis of regional security, but international law indicates that regional security should not distinguish between airlines and prevention must be imposed on all aviation entities.