By Ben Kerrigan-
Saudi Arabia has been hit with Rare Rebuke At UN Rights Body Over the murder of Jamal Khashoggi and the detention of women activists.
In particular, the 36 nations noted that the murder of Khashoggi is consistent with the oppressive spirit that has led to many women being held under detention in Saudi Arabia . Journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2. Khashoggi, a Washington Post contributor and critic of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was murdered at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2.
A statement read by Iceland on behalf of a group of states expressed “significant concerns” about reported abuses in Saudi Arabia and demanded justice following Khashoggi’s killing.
“Investigations into the killing must be prompt, effective and thorough, independent and impartial, and transparent. Those responsible must be held to account,” added the statement read by Iceland’s UN ambassador Harald Aspelund.
It called on Saudi authorities “to disclose all information available” about its own investigation while cooperating with separate U.N inquiries into Khashoggi’s death. The statement was backed by EU states along with Australia, Canada and New Zealand.
Human Rights Watch described the statement as “the first-ever collective action” at the council on rights in Saudi Arabia, which had successfully evaded criticism at the UN body. HRW’s Geneva director John Fisher called it “a landmark step toward justice” and urged “more scrutiny” of the country. The countries also expressed ” significant concerns about reports of continuing arrests” of human rights defenders, including women’s rights activists.Saudi Arabia began detaining the activists in May, just weeks ahead of the lifting of the ban on women driving for which many of them had campaigned
Many of the women detained have complained they were tortured with electric shocks and whippings, and also been sexually harassed and assaulted. The Saudi deputy public prosecutor has denounced the allegations as “false”, but few will take denials from the Saudi Authorities seriously given the continued practices of torture and victimisation. Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salmon insisted the detentions were over threats to national security and not issues of dissent. The problem Saudi authorities face is that their track record of brutality and oppression will always lend a cynical perspective to every situation of concern to the international community.
“Interference in domestic affairs under the guise of defending human rights is in fact an attack on our sovereignty,” ambassador Abdulaziz Alwasil said.
It has since blamed rogue agents for Khashoggi’s death and the kingdom’s public prosecutor has charged 11 people over his murder.
The UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Agnes Callamard, is conducting an inquiry into the killing.