Qatar Pursues Compensation for Losses from Saudi-Led Blockade

Qatar's attorney general says that the Compensation Claims Committee would handle claims made by private companies, including major firms such as Qatar Airways, public institutions and individuals.
 
Speaking to reporters in Doha on Sunday, Ali bin Fetais Al-Marri, said the body would use both domestic and international mechanisms to seek compensation, and will hire overseas law firms to handle its claims.
 
"You have people who have sustained damages, businessmen who have sustained damages, banks which have sustained damages. As a result of this blockade," Al-Marri said.
 
"And those who compelled these damages to happen must pay compensation for them."
 
Members of the newly-formed committee include Qatar's minister of justice and minister of foreign affairs.
 
Al-Marri said that the decision to pursue compensation for damages was not tied to current state of negotiations between Qatar and the blockading countries.
 
"The difference between politics and law is that in law there is continuity, unlike politics, which could be stopped by certain conditions," he said.
 
Since June 5th last month, the four Arab regimes have cut diplomatic and transport ties with Qatar, which they accuse of supporting Palestinian Hamas resistance movement, the Muslim Brotherhood and having close ties with neighboring Iran. Qatar has defended itself against the accusation saying the said groups are not terrorist while insisting on having good ties with Iran.
 
The Saudi-led group issued demands that Qatar must meet before ties are restored including curtailing its support for the Muslim Brotherhood, shutting down the al-Jazeera TV channel, closing a Turkish military base in Doha and downgrading its ties with Iran.
 
Qatari foreign minister has said that Arab states that have cut ties with his country were trying to undermine the nation's sovereignty.