UN rejects appeal against ICAO ruling in Qatari airspace sanctions

UN reported (14-Jul-2020) the International Court of Justice (ICJ) rejected an appeal by Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the UAE, regarding the authority of ICAO to judge the case of sanctions brought against Qatar in 2017. Plaintiff sanctions against Qatar included preventing Qatari aircraft from entering Bahraini, Saudi Arabian, Egyptian or UAE airspace, due to Qatar's alleged support for groups viewed as terrorist organisations. Qatar took this case to ICAO, however the plaintiff nations stated only the ICJ had authority to decide on the dispute, as it was deemed to encompass more matters than just civil aviation. The ICJ has since ruled the ICAO to be competent to hear this case, and ICAO is expected to deliver a final ruling on the air blockade in 2021. [more - original PR - UN] [more - original PR - Qatar's Government Communications Office]