Qatar Called Out on Human Rights Abuses

[emad]

Wednesday May 11, 2005 4:46 PM
By RAWYA RAGEH

Associated Press Writer

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) - Qatar's first hard look at its own human rights shortcomings produced a catalogue of abuses that include prolonged detentions, mistreatment of foreign workers and the use of children as jockeys in camel races.

But the first of what are to be annual reports by the government's two-year-old National Human Rights Committee hailed freedom expression in Qatar and praised the Doha-based Al-Jazeera satellite television for promoting that freedom.

Of a total of 145 complaints received by the committee last year, 20 dealt with detentions.

``The committee also has registered the widespread use of protective custody in a way that the measure has turned into a harsh penalty in some cases,'' said the report obtained by The Associated Press on Wednesday.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-4998304,00.html

QATAR....pronounced 'gutter'