The state of human rights in Qatar is a concern for several non-governmental organisations, such as the Human Rights Watch (HRW), which reported in 2012 that hundreds of thousands of mostly South Asian migrant workers in construction in Qatar risk serious exploitation and abuse, sometimes amounting to forced labour. Qatar is an authoritarian and de facto absolute monarchy under the House of Thani. Qatari law also does not permit the establishment of political bodies or trade unions. Awareness of human rights abuses in Qatar grew internationally after Qatar's controversial selection to stage the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Migrant construction workers from South Asia in the West Bay area of Doha
Barwa Al Baraha at night
A demonstration held for Mohammed al-Ajami outside the Qatari embassy in Washington, D.C.
Qatar's first Catholic church is not permitted to have Christian symbols on its exterior.
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organisation says it has more than ten million members and supporters around the world. The stated mission of the organisation is to campaign for "a world in which every person enjoys all of the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights instruments." The organisation has played a notable role on human rights issues due to its frequent citation in media and by world leaders.
Amnesty International, 19 March 2011
Japanese branch of Amnesty International, 23 May 2014
Supporters of Amnesty International at Cologne Pride Parade 2014
Amnesty International sign at the WorldPride Madrid in July 2017