Doha – Qatari citizens live in fear of persecution from Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, said a former Qatari justice minister according to a report published by the Economist on Thursday.
“We are scared”, said the former Qatari cabinet minister and the Minister of Justice Najeeb Al-Nuaimi to the media outlet.
“They’ll take your passport or your property and leave you stateless if you talk”, said Al-Nuaimi who has been under the travel ban since 2017.
The report claims to expose the dictatorship of the Qatari regime whose Emir passed a decree that threatens five years’ imprisonment or a fine of $27,000 against anyone who broadcasts, publishes or republishes statements or news that can potentially stir up public opinion against the regime.
The report also exposes the state-funded Al-Jazeera channel. It quoted a media-watcher in the emirate, saying: “Al-Jazeera is free to criticize other countries but never to criticize Qatar”. And it keeps silent about the Qatari-women who are fleeing the country, seeking asylum in Britain.
Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, and Egypt in June 2017 issued a complete blockade against Qatari regime for sponsoring and financing terrorist groups including Hamas. The demands included reducing diplomatic relations with Iran, stopping military coordination with Turkey, stopping financing of terrorist groups and the closing of Al-Jazeera.
