Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, UAE accuse specific charities, individuals in Qatar of being 'linked to terror'
A joint statement by Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the U.A.E. late on Thursday accused 59 individuals and 12 charity organizations in Qatar of being “linked to terror”, local media reported.
The list includes the International Union of Muslim Scholars' Egyptian chairman, Yousef al-Qaradawi, and Abdullah bin Khalid, a former interior minister of Qatar.
The joint declaration said the list was the result of what it claimed were continued violations by the Qatari authorities of previous commitments and agreements, including "the commitment to not support or shelter elements or groups that threaten the security of countries".
"This is in light of its commitment to fighting terrorism, drying up the sources of the funding of terrorism, combatting extremist ideology and the instruments of spreading and publicizing it," the statement read, according to Qatari media outlets.
Thursday’s statement added the list would be updated with new individuals and organizations based in or funded by Qatar.
The move comes after Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the U.A.E., Bahrain and Yemen on Monday cut ties with Qatar, accusing Doha of supporting terrorism.
Qatar denied the accusations, calling the move "unjustified".
The escalation came two weeks after the website of Qatar’s official news agency was allegedly hacked by unknown individuals who reportedly published statements attributed to the country’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani.
The incident triggered a diplomatic row between Qatar and its neighbors.
