As the World celebrates the beginning of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar this weekend, we call for the release of imprisoned Qatari lawyers
FIFA awarded the 2022 World Cup to Qatar in 2010 regardless of the poor human rights conditions in the country. Besides migrant workers, women, people from the LGBTI+ community and journalists, lawyers are also subject of human rights violations in the country. As the international community gets ready to celebrate the world’s biggest sporting event in Qatar, Qatari lawyers Hazza bin Ali Abu Shurayda al-Marri and Rashed bin Ali Abu Shurayda al-Marri remain in prison, serving a life-sentence since 10 May 2022.
In 2021, lawyer Hazza bin Ali Abu Shurayda al-Marri took part in the widescale peaceful protests against a controversial election law, which excluded among others, al-Murra tribe members from the Shura Council, Qatar’s legislative body. As a result of taking part in the protests and his prominent role in sharing his opinions on the state of affairs in Qatar on his Twitter account, Mr. al-Marri was arrested in August 2021 at his home by the Criminal Investigation Department.
Subsequently, Hazza bin Ali Abu Shurayda al-Marri’s brother, Rashed bin Ali Abu Shurayda al-Marri visited the Public Prosecution offices to enquire about the reasons for this arrest and to request access to act as his brother’s legal representative. He too was detained immediately.
Not only the right to freedom of expression as stipulated in article 23 of the UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers has been repeatedly violated, also the right to fair trial has not been upheld in Qatar. Both lawyers stood trial for the first time on 26 January 2022, in which a number of minimum fair trial guarantees and legal procedures were violated: the judge appointed a defence lawyer for the defendants, leaving them without the opportunity to appoint a lawyer of their own choosing, and their first two hearings took place behind closed doors.
On 10 May 2022, the Second Circuit Criminal issued a life sentence against both lawyers. The court convicted the lawyers and two activists that also stood trial on a set of charges, including: “resorting to threats and other illegal means to compel the Emir to perform work within his legal jurisdiction”, “spreading false and malicious rumors and news at home and abroad with the intent of harming national interests”, “promoting, broadcasting and disseminating, through information technology means, incorrect news with the intent of endangering the safety of the state and its public order”, “stirring up public opinion and compromising the state’s social order”, and “organising a public assembly without a license”. Lawyers for Lawyers called for the release of the two lawyers in a joint statement in May 2022.
Lawyers for Lawyers remains deeply concerned that the life sentences issued against Hazza bin Ali Abu Shurayda al-Marri and Rashed bin Ali Abu Shurayda al-Marri are connected to, and serve to unlawfully restrict, their legitimate activities as attorneys and the exercise of their right to freedom of expression. As the world’s attention shifts to Qatar for the upcoming weeks, Lawyers for Lawyers again calls for the release of Hazza bin Ali Abu Shurayda al-Marri and Rashed bin Ali Abu Shurayda al-Marri.