ICC prosecutor voices regret over anti-Qatar blockade

The International Criminal Court’s (ICC) chief prosecutor has expressed regret over the blockade imposed by Saudi Arabia and three other Arab states against Qatar.

On Sunday, ICC’s Fatou Bensouda met Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Doha and discussed the violations of international accords as well as human rights abuses committed by the four blockading countries.

QNA, Qatar’s state news agency, reported that Bensouda praised Doha’s mature handling of the crisis.

The meeting also dealt with fields of cooperation between Qatar and the ICC, QNA reported.

Earlier on Sunday, Bensouda also met with Qatar’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani.

READ MORE: All the latest updates on the Gulf crisis

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt cut ties with Qatar on June 5 and imposed a land, air and sea blockade on the country.

They also ordered Qatari citizens to leave their territories and took various steps against Qatari firms and financial institutions.

On June 22, the group issued a 13-point list of demands, including the shutting-down of Al Jazeera Media Network, as a prerequisite to lifting the sanctions.

Doha refused to accept the demands and the quartet now considers the list of demands “null and void”.

Kuwait, also part of the Gulf Cooperation Council, is mediating in the dispute.

The UK also stepped in as Boris Johnson, its foreign secretary, met Saudi-led group’s senior officials on Friday before visiting Kuwait and Qatar on Saturday.