Saudi sovereignty over handling of case is not matter of bargaining

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al Jubeir Image Credit: AFP

Riyadh: Saudi Arabia Wednesday said a report by a UN investigator on the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi last year was full of baseless allegations.

“The report of the rapporteur at the [UN] Human Rights Council includes clear contradictions and baseless allegations that strike at its credibility,” Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al Jubeir said.

He added that the Saudi courts are independently handling the case, saying the kingdom’s sovereignty over the case is not a matter of bargaining. “The current trials in the case of the citizen Jamal Khashoggi are attended by representatives of the embassies of the five permanent member countries at the Security Council, in addition to Turkey and Saudi rights organisations,” Al Jubeir said.

“We strongly reject any attempt to touch the kingdom’s leadership, push the case out of the track of justice in the kingdom, or affect it in any form,” he said in a string of tweets.

Saudi investigations and trial in the case are underway, the Saudi official said. </s> A Saudi minister on Wednesday slammed as “unfounded” a UN expert report calling for those involved in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi to be held accountable.

“It is not new. The (UN) report reiterates what has already been published and circulated in the media,” Adel al-Jubeir, Saudi minister of state for foreign affairs, said on Twitter.

“The report… contains clear contradictions and unfounded allegations, casting doubt on its credibility.” </s> RIYADH: A Saudi minister on Wednesday slammed as "unfounded" a UN expert report calling for those involved in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi to be held accountable.



"It is not new. The (UN) report reiterates what has already been published and circulated in the media," Adel al-Jubeir, Saudi minister of state for foreign affairs, said on Twitter.

"The report... contains clear contradictions and unfounded allegations, casting doubt on its credibility."

The report by Agnes Callamard, the UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, said there was "credible evidence" linking Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to Khashoggi´s murder inside the kingdom´s consulate in Istanbul last October.

Callamard called on UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to initiate a formal international criminal investigation into the case.

Jubeir reiterated that the kingdom´s "competent" judicial authorities were holding trials of several people arrested over the killing.

The kingdom´s public prosecutor last November indicted 11 unnamed suspects, including five who could face the death penalty over the murder.

Diplomats from the UN Security Council´s permanent members -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- as well as Turkey and Saudi human rights organisations are allowed to attend the legal proceedings, Jubeir said. </s> RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s minister of state for foreign affairs rejected on Wednesday a U.N. report that said there is credible evidence that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and other high-level officials are liable for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

“Nothing new…,” tweeted Adel al-Jubeir. “The report of the rapporteur in the human rights council contains clear contradictions and baseless allegations which challenge its credibility.”

Earlier, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and other senior Saudi officials should be investigated over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi since there is credible evidence they are liable for his death, a U.N. rights investigator said on Wednesday. </s> RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia’s minister of state for foreign affairs rejected on Wednesday a U.N. report that said there is credible evidence that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and other high-level officials are liable for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

“Nothing new...,” tweeted Adel al-Jubeir. “The report of the rapporteur in the human rights council contains clear contradictions and baseless allegations which challenge its credibility.” </s> A Saudi minister has slammed as "unfounded" a report by a United Nations expert who called for those involved in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi to be held accountable.

"It is not new. The [UN] report reiterates what has already been published and circulated in the media," Adel al-Jubeir, Saudi minister of state for foreign affairs, said on Twitter on Wednesday.

"The report of the rapporteur in the human rights council contains clear contradictions and baseless allegations which challenge its credibility."

The report by Agnes Callamard, the UN special rapporteur for extrajudicial, summary and arbitrary executions, said there was "credible evidence" linking Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) to Khashoggi's killing in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October.

She said it was clear the "execution of Mr Khashoggi was the responsibility of the state of Saudi Arabia," and called on UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to launch a formal international criminal probe into the case.

Saudi Arabia has repeatedly denied the involvement of the crown prince.

Saudi officials initially denied Khashoggi's killing at the consulate, saying he had left the premises. The kingdom changed its narrative several times before later acknowledging he was killed, blaming "rogue" security agents.

The Saudi public prosecutor indicted 11 unnamed suspects in November, including five who could face the death penalty on charges of ordering and committing the crime.

But Callamard called for the trial to be suspended, citing concerns over secret hearings and a potential miscarriage of justice.

In a series of tweets, al-Jubeir said that Saudi judicial authorities in the country are the only ones "competent to deal with this case and exercise their powers in complete independence".

"We vehemently reject any attempt to undermine the leadership of the kingdom, or derail the case from the course of justice or influence it in any way," he added.

Callamard on Wednesday told Al Jazeera: "There is little doubt in my mind that the killing was premeditated. It was planned."

Khashoggi, a critic of MBS's policies, entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2 to pick up documents required for his second marriage.

His fiancee, Turkish national Hatice Cengiz, was waiting outside the consulate but the journalist never emerged from the building.

Callamard also said there was "credible evidence, warranting further investigation of high-level Saudi officials' individual liability, including the crown prince's."

According to CIA assessments, the crown prince was the mastermind behind Khashoggi's death.

Later, the US Senate adopted a resolution naming MBS as "responsible" for the murder. </s> RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — A Saudi minister on Wednesday slammed as “unfounded” a UN expert report calling for those involved in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi to be held accountable.

“It is not new. The [UN] report reiterates what has already been published and circulated in the media,” Adel al-Jubeir, Saudi minister of state for foreign affairs, said on Twitter.

“The report… contains clear contradictions and unfounded allegations, casting doubt on its credibility.”

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The report by Agnes Callamard, the UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, said there was “credible evidence” linking Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to Khashoggi’s murder inside the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul last October.

Callamard said it was clear “the execution of Mr. Khashoggi was the responsibility of the state of Saudi Arabia,” while calling on UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to initiate a formal international criminal investigation into the case.

Saudi prosecutors have absolved the crown prince of responsibility.

Jubeir reiterated that the kingdom’s “competent” judicial authorities were holding trials of several people arrested over the killing.

The kingdom’s public prosecutor last November indicted 11 unnamed suspects, including five who could face the death penalty over the murder.

Diplomats from the UN Security Council’s permanent members — Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States — as well as Turkey and Saudi human rights organizations are allowed to attend the legal proceedings, Jubeir said.

The proceedings are held entirely in Arabic, diplomatic sources have told AFP.

The diplomats are not allowed to bring interpreters and are usually summoned at short notice, the sources added.

Callamard, an independent human rights expert who does not speak for the UN, said probes by Saudi Arabia and Turkey “failed to meet international standards regarding the investigation into unlawful deaths.”

Her report specifically came across evidence that the crime scenes were “thoroughly, even forensically, cleaned” by the Saudis, in what “may amount to obstructing justice.”

Callamard said Prince Mohammed must have been aware of the cover-up efforts.

The UN expert also insisted that any international sanctions over Khashoggi’s killing “ought also to include the crown prince and his personal assets abroad.” </s> HOW MUCH DID PRINCE KNOW?

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and other senior officials should be investigated over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi given credible evidence against them, a U.N. rights investigator said on Wednesday.Khashoggi's death stirred widespread disgust and hurt the image of the prince, previously admired in the West for pushing to end the kingdom's oil dependence and easing social restrictions including by allowing women to drive.In Riyadh, a minister rejected the report as having nothing new and containing "baseless allegations."After the killing, some Western executives pulled out of an investment forum in Riyadh. But big investors have pushed ahead with deals this year in a sign that an effort by the kingdom to return to business as usual is making headway.Callamard also urged states to widen sanctions to include the crown prince and his assets abroad, unless the man seen by many as the de facto Saudi ruler can prove no responsibility."The people directly implicated in the murder reported to him, so there is a reporting line there that needs to be further investigated," she told reporters.Khashoggi, a critic of the prince and a Washington Post columnist, was last seen at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2 where he was to receive papers ahead of his wedding.His body was dismembered and removed from the building, the Saudi prosecutor has said, and his remains have not been found."What needs to be investigated is the extent to which the crown prince knew or should have known of what would have happened to Mr. Khashoggi, whether he directly or indirectly incited the killing ... whether he could have prevented the execution when the mission started and failed to do so," Callamard told reporters.Saudi Arabia's minister of state for foreign affairs, Adel al-Jubeir, was dismissive."The report of the rapporteur in the human rights council contains clear contradictions and baseless allegations which challenge its credibility," he tweeted.The Saudi public prosecutor has indicted 11 suspects, including five who could face the death penalty.Callamard said the Saudi trial should be suspended, citing concerns over secrecy and potential miscarriage of justice.Instead, a follow-up international criminal probe should be launched, she said, urging U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to establish one. His spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, said Guterres does not have the authority to do so without a mandate from an inter-governmental body.The U.N. Human Rights Council, where Saudi Arabia is among the 47 member states, opens a three-week session on Monday.Khashoggi's Turkish fiancée, who had been waiting outside the consulate, called on the United States to increase pressure."Washington has chosen not to use its strong ties and leverage with Riyadh to get the Saudis to reveal the truth about Jamal's murder and to ensure those responsible are held accountable," Hatice Cengiz wrote in a New York Times op-ed.Critics have accused President Donald Trump of letting the Saudis off the hook, but a senior official told Reuters this month it remains a "very hot issue".Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said those responsible for the murder will pay the price.The U.N. report published excerpts of what it calls conversations inside the consulate shortly before Khashoggi arrived there and during his final moments.Assessments of the recordings by intelligence officers in Turkey and elsewhere suggested Khashoggi may have been injected with a sedative and then suffocated, the report said.Reacting to the report, Human Rights Watch criticized what it called the Saudi "intolerance of dissent and climate of impunity" that enabled the murder.Callamard said that states should invoke universal jurisdiction in the case. Asked if there could be arrests abroad, she said: "If and when the responsibility of those individuals has been proven, including the responsibilities of a level that warrant arrest, absolutely."Judicial authorities in countries that recognize universal jurisdiction for serious offences can investigate and prosecute those crimes no matter where they were committed. </s> A Saudi hit squad that butchered Jamal Khashoggi referred to the writer as a 'sacrificial animal', it has been revealed.

A UN report published yesterday stated the journalist was drugged with a sedative and suffocated with a plastic bag.

Investigators also said they found 'credible evidence' that Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, was behind the killing.

An audio recording of Khashoggi's final moments appeared to reveal how his killers discussed cutting his body into pieces before accosting the dissident writer, who died amid 'sounds of a struggle'.

The revelations also included audio transcripts showing the Saudi agents involved referring to Khashoggi as a 'sacrificial animal'.

Western allies faced renewed pressure to suspend arms sales to the kingdom in the wake the further allegations and alleged involvement at the highest echelons of the Saudi hierarchy. Analysts say the kingdom now faces a 'new crisis'.

The allegations, strongly rejected by Riyadh, are also likely to increase anti-Saudi sentiment in the US Congress despite the prince enjoying President Donald Trump's backing.

Saudi Arabia has sought to move on from the scandal triggered by Khashoggi's murder, but the UN expert's report implicating its crown prince has heaped pressure back on the kingdom, analysts say.

'A new crisis cycle is open,' Joseph Bahout, non-resident fellow at Carnegie Endowment, said on Twitter.

'Another round of international embarrassment for [Saudi Arabia] is starting now.'

UN special rapporteur Agnes Callamard's report, released yesterday, insists there is 'credible evidence' to warrant further investigation and financial sanctions against Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman over Khashoggi's murder last October.

The 101-page document, which details the dissident's murder by Saudi agents at the country's Istanbul consulate, has cast a renewed spotlight on the case just as the de facto ruler appeared to be emerging from the scandal.

Britain today said it would suspend issuing new Saudi licenses for the sale of arms that might be used in the kingdom's four-year bombing campaign in Yemen.

The decision was not directly linked to the report, but came after a British court ordered the government to 'reconsider' the sales because of their humanitarian impact.

The UN expert's report is unlikely to challenge Prince Mohammed's position at home, where his grip on power 'appears absolute', said Hussein Ibish, a scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington.

'The bigger concern, I have no doubt, is the growing anti-Saudi sentiment in US Congress,' said.

This week, US lawmakers launched a new attempt to block Trump's bid to sell $8.1 billion-worth of arms to Saudi Arabia and other Arab allies.

Last month, the president bypassed the usual process of seeking a congressional green light for the sales, citing risks from Iran -- a common foe of Riyadh and Washington.

'As long as [the Saudis] have strong relations with the White House they will probably be okay, but the growing tensions with Congress are a very bad sign,' said Ibish.

'Riyadh's relationship with Washington is not optional from a Saudi point of view. It's essential.'

While Callamard's report did not offer definitive evidence linking Prince Mohammed to Khashoggi's murder, it said it was 'inconceivable' such a large-scale operation could be implemented without him being aware.

The report quoted audio recordings, apparently picked up by Turkish listening devices, of Saudi officials discussing dismembering his body even before Khashoggi entered the consulate to collect a Saudi document allowing him to wed his Turkish fiancee.

Khashoggi's remains have so far not been found and yesterday his fiance, Hatice Cengiz, wrote in a piece for the New York Times stating that politicians in Washington should have done more to leverage their power to bring his killers to justice.

The report said there was evidence that the crime scenes, including the consulate, had been 'thoroughly, even forensically, cleaned' following the killing, indicating a cover up.

Saudi Arabia has placed 11 unnamed suspects on trial for the murder.

But the report said the murder involved a 15-man team that flew to Istanbul on two jets in a mission that required 'significant government coordination, resources and finances'.

The Saudi minister of state for foreign affairs, Adel al-Jubeir, has dismissed the report, saying that it was riddled with 'clear contradictions' and 'unfounded allegations'.

Diplomats from the UN Security Council's permanent members -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- as well as Turkey are allowed to attend the trial proceedings of the 11 suspects, Jubeir said.

The proceedings are held entirely in Arabic, diplomatic sources said.

The diplomats are not allowed to bring interpreters and are usually summoned at short notice, the sources added.

The incident had tarnished the reputation of Prince Mohammed - a self-styled reformer seeking to modernise the conservative petro-state.

The kingdom had been attempting to turn the page on it, in hopes of winning back foreign investment and resetting ties with Western allies.

Global business titans and CEOs attended a financial conference in Riyadh in April, suggesting they were keen to resume ties with the wealthy kingdom as the impact of the killing appeared to subside.

The report could however 'increase the reputational risks for US entities doing business with Saudi Arabia', Ryan Bohl, from the US geopolitical think tank Stratfor said.

Prince Mohammed also faces overseas critics, including some Saudi citizens who have sought exile in Western capitals.

'This UN report will put winds into their sails and give them an opportunity to build up their public support,' Bohl said.
Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir says that the UN's report on the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi is unfounded, saying it has "clear contradictions and baseless allegations."