GENEVA: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and other senior officials need to be investigated over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi given credible evidence against them, a UN rights investigator said on Wednesday.
Khashoggi’s death stirred widespread disgust all over the world. The possibility of prince’s hand in murder of the journalist hurt his image as the prince was previously admired in the West for pushing to end the kingdom’s oil dependence and easing social restrictions by allowing women to drive.
UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial executions, Agnes Callamard, accused Saudi Arabia of a “deliberate, premeditated execution” in the 100-page report after a six-month investigation. “There is sufficient credible evidence regarding the responsibility of the crown prince demanding further investigation,” Callamard said.
In Riyadh, a minister rejected the report by calling it “baseless allegations.”
Comment