Qatar condemns arrest of its citizen by Saudi authorities

DOHA, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Qatar has denounced the arrest of a Qatari citizen by the Saudi Arabian authorities, state-run Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported on Thursday.

Al Qurabi, 63 years old, was arrested by the Saudi-led coalition forces at the border between Yemen and Oman on April 21, without explanation on the reason of the arrest, said Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement.

The statement called for Al Qurabi's immediate release, as it violates the international human rights charter, QNA said.

It also called for refraining from using arbitrary measures against people because of political differences.

Tensions between Qatar and its neighbors skyrocketed, particularly after the Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Bahrain severed diplomatic ties with Qatar on June 5 last year.

The quartet accused Qatar of supporting terrorism, while Qatar has vehemently denied the charges. Enditem