Bahrain to sue Qatar over seizing 15 boats with 20 fishermen

CAIRO – 20 September 2017: The Bahraini Foreign Ministry confirmed on Wednesday that it has assigned a law firm to follow the seizing of 15 boats with 20 fishermen on board by the authorities in Qatar.

The Bahraini Foreign Ministry assured that it will take all necessary legal measures on this issue to protect the detained sailors and preserve their rights, pointing out that these practices are repeated by the authorities of Qatar, according to the Bahrain News Agency.

It stated that these issues are governed by international treaties related to maritime safety legal procedures and that it will continue its follow-up. They will proceed with procedures to ensure the release of sailors and fishing boats as soon as possible.

Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates have denounced Qatar with complete air and trade boycotts over allegations of its supporting and sponsorship of terrorism, which Doha denies.

Following the Arab boycott of Doha, a list of 13-demands was handed to Doha’s government by Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain for reconciliation, which includes the closing of Al-Jazeera broadcasting channel and the suspension of its cozy relationship with the extremist government of Iran.

Since then, Qatar has resisted reconciliation attempts and has not shown any efforts in disassociating itself from the terrorist groups proven to be harbored and financially supported by Doha.