Qatar deprives 5,000 of their nationality
Qatar-Saudi Arabia, Politics, 6/13/2005

Government officials said on Sunday that Qatar deprived some 5,000 persons of their Qatari nationality, most of them carry dual Qatari and Saudi nationalities.

A Qatari official denied reports of Arab mass media to that this move aims at punishing certain members of tribes who are suspected to be involved in the coupe attempt in 1996 that aimed bring back the toppled ruler of Qatar Sheikh Khaleifa who was toppled in a non-bloody coupe at the hands of his son in 1995.

He said "these report are for campaigning," adding that political intentions are behind it in order to embarrass Qatar.

A high ranking official in Qatar said that Qatar dropped the nationality of 5,000 persons carrying Saudi passports but no one was expelled from the country. Many of the families which were affected by the decision over the dual nationality are from Murra tribe. It is a tribe of nomadic Bedouin in the past who affiliated to the eastern parts of Saudi Arabia near the Qatari borders.

Chairman of the Qatari national human rights committee, which is financed by the state of Qatar, Khaled al-Ateyah, expressed his hope that the government will reversethis decision. He said that many persons continued to stay in Qatar and their rights are preserved. But the committee appealed the government their nationalities to be restored back.

Previous Stories:
  Qatar's human traficking report   (6/11/2005)
  Because of reciprocated accusations on supporting opposition; No normalization between Riyadh and Doha   (6/12/2004)
  Saudi- Qatari reconciliation talks in Paris, under Kuwaiti patronage   (6/11/2004)

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