| QATAR State of Qatar Dawlat Qatar Joined United Nations: 21 September 1971 Human Rights as assured by their constitution Updated 23 February 2013 |
Chapter 3
The General Rights and Duties
Article 34
All citizens are equal in General rights and duties.
Article 35
All people are equal before the law. There shall be no discrimination on account of sex, origin, language, or religion.
Article 36
Personal freedom is assured. No one shall be arrested or jailed or checked or confined or have his or her movements restricted, unless
according to the provisions of the law. No one shall be subjected to torture or humiliating treatment. Torture is considered a crime and
shall be punished by the law.
Article 37
Privacy of individuals shall be respected. No one shall be subjected to interference in his or her privacy or family affairs or residence or
correspondence or any interference affecting his or her honour or reputation, unless according to the provisions of the law and in a way
to be stipulated by it.
Article 38
No citizen shall be deported from the country or forbidden from returning to it.
Article 39
The accused shall be deemed innocent unless proved guilty by the judicial process in a court, and shall be provided all necessary legal
assistance to practise the right of defence.
Article 40
No crime and no punishment unless stipulated by the law. No punishment except on the consequences of an act after it is committed.
Punishment is personal. The provisions of the laws shall not be valid unless after the date of their coming into effect. No consequences of
the law on acts committed before their coming into force. However, it is permissible to be stated otherwise in non-criminal articles and by
a two-thirds majority of the Advisory Council.
Article 41
Provisions for Qatari citizenship shall be stipulated by the law. These provisions shall have constitutional validity.
Article 42
The State shall assure the right of election and nomination for all citizens according to the law.
Article 43
Taxation shall be based on principles of social justice. Taxes shall not be levied unless stipulated by the law.
Article 44
The right of assembly is assured to the citizens as per the provisions of the law.
Article 45
The freedom to establish societies is assured according to the conditions and circumstances to be laid down by the law.
Article 46
Any individual has the right to address the General authorities.
Article 47
The freedom of expression and scientific research is assured according to the conditions and circumstances to be stipulated by the law.
Article 48
Press freedom, printing and publishing is assured in accordance with the law.
Article 49
Education is the right of every citizen. The State shall extend efforts to achieve free and compulsory General education according to the
applicable laws and rules in the State.
Article 50
The freedom to worship is assured to all, in accordance with the law and the requirements of protecting the public system and public
behaviour.
Article 51
The right of inheritance is secure and governed by the Islamic Shariah.
Article 52
Any person residing legally in the State shall enjoy protection for his person and his money and possessions, according to the provision of
the law.
Article 53
Defending the country is the duty of all citizens.
Article 54
Holding public posts is a national service. The public employee shall uphold the public interests alone while doing his duty.
Article 55
Public funds are sacred. Their protection is the duty of all, according to the law.
Article 56
Confiscation of an individual’s funds is strictly forbidden. There shall not be a punishment of confiscation of personal money unless
backed by a judicial verdict and in circumstances stipulated by law.
Article 57
Respect for the Constitution, abiding by the laws issued by the public authorities, abiding by public order and public behaviour, following
the national traditions and norms is the duty of all residing in the State of Qatar.
Article 58
Handing over political asylum-seekers is strictly forbidden. The law shall stipulate the conditions of granting political asylum.
The General Rights and Duties
Article 34
All citizens are equal in General rights and duties.
Article 35
All people are equal before the law. There shall be no discrimination on account of sex, origin, language, or religion.
Article 36
Personal freedom is assured. No one shall be arrested or jailed or checked or confined or have his or her movements restricted, unless
according to the provisions of the law. No one shall be subjected to torture or humiliating treatment. Torture is considered a crime and
shall be punished by the law.
Article 37
Privacy of individuals shall be respected. No one shall be subjected to interference in his or her privacy or family affairs or residence or
correspondence or any interference affecting his or her honour or reputation, unless according to the provisions of the law and in a way
to be stipulated by it.
Article 38
No citizen shall be deported from the country or forbidden from returning to it.
Article 39
The accused shall be deemed innocent unless proved guilty by the judicial process in a court, and shall be provided all necessary legal
assistance to practise the right of defence.
Article 40
No crime and no punishment unless stipulated by the law. No punishment except on the consequences of an act after it is committed.
Punishment is personal. The provisions of the laws shall not be valid unless after the date of their coming into effect. No consequences of
the law on acts committed before their coming into force. However, it is permissible to be stated otherwise in non-criminal articles and by
a two-thirds majority of the Advisory Council.
Article 41
Provisions for Qatari citizenship shall be stipulated by the law. These provisions shall have constitutional validity.
Article 42
The State shall assure the right of election and nomination for all citizens according to the law.
Article 43
Taxation shall be based on principles of social justice. Taxes shall not be levied unless stipulated by the law.
Article 44
The right of assembly is assured to the citizens as per the provisions of the law.
Article 45
The freedom to establish societies is assured according to the conditions and circumstances to be laid down by the law.
Article 46
Any individual has the right to address the General authorities.
Article 47
The freedom of expression and scientific research is assured according to the conditions and circumstances to be stipulated by the law.
Article 48
Press freedom, printing and publishing is assured in accordance with the law.
Article 49
Education is the right of every citizen. The State shall extend efforts to achieve free and compulsory General education according to the
applicable laws and rules in the State.
Article 50
The freedom to worship is assured to all, in accordance with the law and the requirements of protecting the public system and public
behaviour.
Article 51
The right of inheritance is secure and governed by the Islamic Shariah.
Article 52
Any person residing legally in the State shall enjoy protection for his person and his money and possessions, according to the provision of
the law.
Article 53
Defending the country is the duty of all citizens.
Article 54
Holding public posts is a national service. The public employee shall uphold the public interests alone while doing his duty.
Article 55
Public funds are sacred. Their protection is the duty of all, according to the law.
Article 56
Confiscation of an individual’s funds is strictly forbidden. There shall not be a punishment of confiscation of personal money unless
backed by a judicial verdict and in circumstances stipulated by law.
Article 57
Respect for the Constitution, abiding by the laws issued by the public authorities, abiding by public order and public behaviour, following
the national traditions and norms is the duty of all residing in the State of Qatar.
Article 58
Handing over political asylum-seekers is strictly forbidden. The law shall stipulate the conditions of granting political asylum.
The Qatari Peninsula has been inhabited since around 4000 BCE, possibly by Canaanites.
Various Persian dynasties dominated the region throughout the millennia, most notably the
Sassanid Empire which reigned from 226 to 651 CE. Throughout the Middle Ages, Qatar was
for all intents and purposes independent but participatory in the great Persian Gulf-Indian
Ocean trade which brought many races and cultures to Qatar from Africa, South and
Southeast Asia and the Malay Peninsula. Islam was introduced in the mid 7th Century, The
Portuguese asserted dominance of Qatar in the early 16th Century but they were expelled by
the Ottoman Empire in 1538. Qatar was under the domination of the Al Khalifa dynasty of
Bahrain when British commercial interests began to develop in the late 18th century.
Britain's dominance was asserted by 1867 when Bahrain launched a naval force against
rebellious Qatari tribes, leading to British intervention. Negotiations with Qatari businessman
Muhammad bin Thani led to the creation of the self-ruled State of Qatar and the
establishment of the Al Thani Dynasty which rules today. Qatar was elevated to the status of
a British Protectorate and Emirate in 1920 with the discovery of oil. Independence was
achieved on 3 September 1971. The present constitution was adopted on 9 June 2005,
originating as a public referendum and endorsed by the Amir. Human rights are enumerated
beginning with Part Two (Citizenship) and Part Three (Fundamental Rights), conforms with
the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights of which Qatar is a signatory and are
detailed below. For a full English translation of Qatar's Constitution, click here.
Various Persian dynasties dominated the region throughout the millennia, most notably the
Sassanid Empire which reigned from 226 to 651 CE. Throughout the Middle Ages, Qatar was
for all intents and purposes independent but participatory in the great Persian Gulf-Indian
Ocean trade which brought many races and cultures to Qatar from Africa, South and
Southeast Asia and the Malay Peninsula. Islam was introduced in the mid 7th Century, The
Portuguese asserted dominance of Qatar in the early 16th Century but they were expelled by
the Ottoman Empire in 1538. Qatar was under the domination of the Al Khalifa dynasty of
Bahrain when British commercial interests began to develop in the late 18th century.
Britain's dominance was asserted by 1867 when Bahrain launched a naval force against
rebellious Qatari tribes, leading to British intervention. Negotiations with Qatari businessman
Muhammad bin Thani led to the creation of the self-ruled State of Qatar and the
establishment of the Al Thani Dynasty which rules today. Qatar was elevated to the status of
a British Protectorate and Emirate in 1920 with the discovery of oil. Independence was
achieved on 3 September 1971. The present constitution was adopted on 9 June 2005,
originating as a public referendum and endorsed by the Amir. Human rights are enumerated
beginning with Part Two (Citizenship) and Part Three (Fundamental Rights), conforms with
the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights of which Qatar is a signatory and are
detailed below. For a full English translation of Qatar's Constitution, click here.