Reliable reports received by the Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) confirmed that the Court of Appeal in Qatar had, in the second half of 2022, ratified the initial life imprisonment sentences issued against two human rights lawyers, Dr. Hazzaa bin Ali Abu Shraydeh Al-Marri and his brother Rashid bin Ali Abu Shraydeh Al-Marri. Other reports, which GCHR could not confirm, stated that the Public Prosecution had requested that the Court of Appeal sentence them to death instead of life imprisonment during the trial.

On 10 May 2022, the Second Circuit Criminal Court held its hearing, when it issued a life sentence against lawyer Dr. Hazzaa Al-Marri, who was arrested on 10 August 2021, and lawyer Rashid Al-Marri, who was arrested the next day.

They were sentenced to life imprisonment for their active participation in the peaceful protests that culminated on 09 August 2021, which was a busy day in contemporary Qatari history. During a peaceful gathering by protesters from the Al-Murra tribe, they demanded the Shura Council elections law be overturned, and called for the right to full citizenship, respect for freedom of expression, and the promotion of social justice among citizens.

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In a separate case, during the last week of August 2023, Dr. Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Marri was released after serving a two-year prison sentence. In an appeal on 25 April 2022, GCHR had documented that the Criminal Court sentenced him to four years in prison due to his support for the peaceful protests, as well as for publishing a tweet – deleted afterward – on his Twitter account, in which he called for men not to post pictures of the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, on social media networks. He was arrested on 27 August 2021. The Court of Appeal decided in 2022 to reduce the initial sentence against him to two years in prison instead of four years.

GCHR condemns the Qatari authorities’ continued imprisonment of lawyer Dr. Hazzaa bin Ali Abu Shraydeh Al-Marri and his brother lawyer Rashid bin Ali Abu Shraydeh Al-Marri, despite the fact that they exercised their legitimate right to express opinions and demonstrate peacefully. There is no doubt that they were solely targeted and that these shocking sentences were issued against them due to their peaceful demand for political participation for all citizens without discrimination, which is what the government of Qatar should support instead of putting them in prison.

GCHR calls on the Qatari government to immediately rescind all these unfair rulings that were issued on false charges that violate the civil and human rights of citizens, including the right to express their opinions online and offline, as well as the right to peaceful assembly.