Human rights defenders working in Qatar face many obstacles and difficulties in the form of government harassment, travel restrictions and arbitrary detention. Although Qatar is the home of the media giant al-Jazeera, which is praised for its critical reporting of Middle East affairs, there are restrictions on freedom of expression. In May 2005, Abdullah Hussein 'Ali Ahmed al-Malki was denied his citizenship after he criticized the authorities on the satellite channel. Freedom or speech is curtailed as well as freedom of association and assembly. Journalists and commentators have to practice self-censorship. In May 2008, the Jordanian national Amal Eisa was sentenced to three years imprisonment for “defamation”, after she wrote an article in the Qatari daily al-Sharq, criticizing staff conduct at a Doha hospital. The Internet is monitored for politically sensitive material and some websites are blocked.

Qatar does not permit independent human rights NGOs. The country has signed neither the the International Convention on Political and Civil Rights nor the the International Convention on Social, Cultural and Economic Rights which are fundamental for the protection of human rights and human rights defenders.