The UAE has presented its submissions to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) following claims made by Qatar that Abu Dhabi had breached its commitments under the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination.
The UAE maintains that Qatar’s claims are baseless and without merit.
At The Hague, UAE Ambassador to the Netherlands Saeed Al Nowais told the ICJ on Thursday: "The UAE completely rejects Qatar’s allegations, all of which are without any merit or basis. Qatar has put forward no credible evidence to substantiate any of these claims."
He said that since the crisis with Qatar began in June 2017, 8,000 cases of entry and exit for Qatari nationals have been recorded in the UAE.
In a series of tweets, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash described Qatar’s move as “pathetic.”
The case brought against the UAE by Qatar is a mere “media fanfare,” he said.
The UAE’s legal team presented evidence in numbers that the country is keen on providing education and medical treatment to Qatari citizens in addition to trading with them even after the crisis, said Gargash.
The Qatari government is seeking to ignite a case of humanitarian injustice that does not even exist, he tweeted.
In June last year, UAE President Sheikh Khalifa Al Nahyan issued a directive to take into consideration the humanitarian situation of Emirati-Qatari families following a decision to sever relations with Qatar.
A hotline was also set up to offer support for such families in the UAE.
Despite these measures, Doha accused the UAE of resorting to discrimination against Qatari citizens.
Qatar claimed at the ICJ that thousands of Qataris have been unable to return to the UAE, resulting in the forcible separation of families.
