Prominent Dutch lawyer: Qatar giving safe haven for funders of terrorism

A prominent human rights lawyer is taking Qatar to court on behalf of victims of an al-Qaeda-linked Syrian extremist group, saying the that the Nusra Front group was financed by Doha-based networks.

In a letter sent to Qatar's ruling emir that was, lawyer Liesbeth Zegveld accused the wealthy Gulf state of failing to take action against the Nusra Front and said: “Qatar is therefore liable for the damages suffered by the victims.”

“There is really like a safe haven in Qatar for funders of terrorism and that is the point; that Qatar through its government structure and its private channels is really supporting terrorism, financially or at least or has done so in the past and I think indeed with the terrorist list, the evidence that is available on social media, the statement, the admission of the former prime minister himself, we do indeed have significant evidence that Qatar is financing, has been financing terrorism,” Zegveld told Al Arabiya.

In her letter to Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Zegveld alleged that one of the victims was taken hostage by members of al-Nusra near Damascus in December 2012.

The man, whose identity was not released out of safety concerns, was repeatedly tortured, forced to watch the executions of two other hostages and subjected to a mock execution. The militants demanded nearly $2 million for his release.