Qatar accuses Saudi over arrest of citizen

Doha: Qatar accused Saudi Arabia on Thursday of a “flagrant violation” of the law after the kingdom’s authorities arrested a Qatari returning from Yemen, the latest Gulf crisis flashpoint.

Doha called for the immediate release of Mohsen Saleh Saadoun al-Qurabi, adding that the Saudis were responsible for his safety and security in a statement released by the ministry of foreign affairs.

“The arrest and detention of the Qatari citizen, Al-Qurabi by the Saudi authorities as he was returning from Yemen on April 21, where he visited his family and without committing any wrongdoing and without any charge, is a flagrant violation of national laws,” read the statement.

It said that the 63-year-old suffered from “chronic health problems that require continuous health care”.

Saudi officials contacted by AFP declined to comment.

Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya TV reported that Yemeni government forces had arrested Al-Qurabi as he attempted to cross the border from Yemen into Oman.

The channel described the Qatari as an intelligence officer and said he was arrested “on suspicion of supporting the Huthis”, Iran-backed rebels who control the Yemeni capital.

The arrest is the latest incident in an 11-month Gulf political crisis which has seen a group of Saudi-led countries break all ties with Qatar, accusing Doha of supporting terrorism and seeking closer ties with Iran.

Qatar claims the Saudi-led countries are seeking regime change in Doha.

Saudi Arabia leads a coalition in Yemen against the Huthis in a devastating conflict which has claimed almost 10,000 lives and triggered what the United Nations has called the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.

Qatari troops were previously part of the Saudi coalition but returned home after the start of the Gulf diplomatic crisis.

AFP