Saudi-led bloc says Qatar violated secret deal

By Ahmed al-Masri and Zeynep Tüfekci

DOHA

A Saudi-led bloc on Tuesday accused Qatar of violating with a secret deal signed in recent years.

“It is without doubt that Qatar did not abide by Riyadh Agreements of 2013-2014, violated it and broke promise,” Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain, said in a statement,

Terms of the deal have never been disclosed.

A 13-article list of demands were already included in the Riyadh Agreement when it was submitted to Qatar as a condition for removing a blockade against Doha, the statement added.

In an interview with CNN, Ahmad Al-Thani who heads Qatar’s government Liaison Office, said the “embargo on Qatar by Saudi-led Arab bloc is obvious violation of Riyadh Agreements of 2013-2014, the bylaw of Gulf Cooperation Council and the execution mechanism,” according to Qatar News Agency.

But the Saudi-led bloc contends the disclosure of the deal was a violation of the agreement.

Meanwhile, Ali bin Smaikh al-Marri, Chairman of Qatar National Human Rights Committee, met with senior U.S. officials in Washington, the committee said in a statement.

During the meeting, al-Marri called the U.S. on adopting a “sharp and firm” stance against the violations of the states imposing the embargo on Qatar.

Last month, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain all abruptly cut diplomatic relations with Qatar, accusing Doha of supporting terrorism.

Saudi Arabia also sealed its land border with Qatar, geographically isolating the tiny Gulf nation.

The four countries presented a list of 13 demands to Qatar, including the closure of the pan-Arab Al Jazeera television, or face further sanctions.

Qatar denies the accusations and calls the move to isolate it diplomatically as "unjustified" and in breach of international law.