Human Rights Council: Un Special Rapporteur Agnès Callamard Reiterated That Saudi Arabia is Responsible for the Killing of Jamal Khashoggi

On Wednesday 26 June 2019, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions atthe OHCHR Agnès Callamard has addressed the key points concerning the Khashoggi case in a press conferenceduring the 41stsession of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Ms. Callamard opened the press conference by stating once again that the killing of Mr. Khashoggi was an extrajudicial execution for which Saudi Arabia is responsible, and that it was premeditated. The killing violated international law, Mr. Khashoggi was also victim of torture and enforced disappearance. Furthermore, as remarked in the Reportpublished one week ago, Ms. Callamard stated that the crime scene was cleaned up before the arrival of the Turkish authorities, a blatant evidence that proves that the Saudi investigation was not conducted in good faith.

“Killing a journalist cannot be tolerated.”With these words, Ms. Callamard called upon the United Nations, in particular Un Secretary General António Guterres, to launch an international investigationinto the killing of Mr. Khashoggi.

She has also reiterated her request for the cooperation of Saudi Arabia to address this case and hold the responsible accountable.Hatice Cengiz, Mr. Khashoggi’s fiancée, took part in an interactive dialoguewith Ms. Callamard before the press conference and asked who killed Mr. Khashoggi. On this purpose, Saudi Ambassador to the UN Abdulaziz Alwasil condemnedCallamard’s report by stating that it was “based on prejudice and prefabricated ideas.”

The European Centre for Democracy and Human Rights (ECDHR) welcomes the outstanding work done by Ms. Callamard. We call upon the international community to support the activity of the Special Rapporteur.