The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
UN independent expert Agnès Callamard today welcomed a report published earlier this week by U.S. authorities that named Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman as the person who gave the go ahead to the operation to kill or capture journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Mr. Khashoggi was assassinated in the Saudi consular offices in Istanbul, Turkey, in October 2018.
While welcoming the finding, which corroborates previous work done by her as the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Ms. Callamard said she was "disappointed" that there was no new factual evidence in the report, and that there were no plans for holding the Saudi royal accountable.
“The fact that the report named the quasi-head of a state, Mr. Mohammed bin Salman, as being responsible for the operation that killed Mr. Jamal Khashoggi, is an important demonstration as well on the part of United States to be transparent”, Ms Callamard said.
“On another level I was disappointed, and I am disappointed," she added. "First of all, factually speaking, the report provided nothing new. It is an analysis of circumstantial evidence and a judgment that is being brought forward, important but I would have expected more material evidence and presumably they exist, but they have not been declassified,” Ms. Callamard said.
The Special Rapporteur called on the U.S. government to commit to the promises of the election campaign and to put human rights, and particularly the freedom of the press, at the forefront of its agenda.
U.S. officials have announced visa restrictions affecting 76 Saudi citizens involved in harassing activists and journalists. They have so far declined to apply sanctions to the crown prince, however.
“So far, the government of the United States has not announced any actions to build on their findings and liability and responsibility on the part of the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, " Ms. Callamard said. "It is extremely problematic in my view, if not dangerous to acknowledge someone’s culpability and then to tell that someone ‘but we don’t do anything, please proceed as if we had said nothing’. That to me is an extremely dangerous move on the part of the USA,” she added.
“What President Biden has announced during his campaign to protect the freedom of the press, to announce a new era in terms of human rights based policy, then to refuse to held to account, to sanction the man who is ultimately responsible for killing Jamal Khashoggi, that to me is extremely worrisome”, Agnes Callamard said. “I am calling on the US government to act on its public findings and to sanction Mohammed bin Salman for what he has done”.
Ms Callamard was supported by her colleague Irene Khan, the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression.
“I am pleased that the report has been published, but very disappointed, very disappointed, that on the issue of accountability," Ms. Khan said. "The US has not seen it fit to take a stronger action at this stage. They have announced Khashoggi sanctions, and I hope they will be used”.
Speaking directly to the importance of the case for the media, Ms. Khan told reporters at a press conference in Geneva, Ms. Khan said that “only 12 percent, only 12 percent, of killings of journalists ever get investigated, prosecuted."
"That is an appalling number around the world and the U.S. should take the lead in pushing for accountability,” Ms. Khan argued.
- Exterior wide shot, United Nations flag flying.
- Wide shot, press briefing room, UN Palais
- SOUNDBITE (English) —Agnès Callamard, UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions: “The fact that the report named the quasi head of a state, Mr. Mohammed bin Salman, as being responsible for the operation that killed Mr. Jamal Khashoggi is an important demonstration as well on the part of United States to be transparent”.
- Medium shot, press briefing room
- SOUNDBITE (English) —Agnès Callamard, UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions: “On another level I was disappointed, and I am disappointed. First of all, factually speaking, the report provided nothing new. It is an analysis of circumstantial evidence and a judgment that is being brought forward, important but I would have expected more material evidence and presumably they exist, but they have not been declassified”.
- Medium shot, journalist with laptop
- SOUNDBITE (English) —Agnès Callamard, UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions: “So far, the government of the United States has not announced any actions to build on their findings and liability and responsibility on the part of the Crown prince Mohammed bin Salman. It is extremely problematic in my view, if not dangerous to acknowledge someone’s culpability and then to tell that someone ‘but we don’t do anything, please proceed as if we had said nothing’. That to me is an extremely dangerous move on the part of the USA”.
- Medium shot, journalist in press briefing room
- SOUNDBITE (English) —Agnès Callamard, UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions: “What President Biden has announced during his campaign to protect the freedom of the press, to announce a new era in terms of human rights based policy, then to refuse to held to account, to sanction the man who is ultimately responsible for killing Jamal Khashoggi, that to me is extremely worrisome. I am calling on the US government to act on its public findings and to sanction Mohammed bin Salman for what he has done”.
- Medium shot, podium
- SOUNDBITE (English) —Irene Khan, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression: “I am pleased that the report has been published, but very disappointed, very disappointed, that on the issue of accountability, the US has not seen it fit to take a stronger action at this stage. They have announced Khashoggi sanctions and I hope they will be used”.
- Medium shot, podium
- SOUNDBITE (English) —Irene Khan, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression: “Only 12 %, only 12 % of killings of journalists ever get investigated, prosecuted. That is an appalling number around the world and the US should take the lead in pushing for accountability”.
- Wide shot, press briefing room
Similar Stories
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
The appointment on Thursday of Karla Quintana as head of the Independent Institution on Missing Persons in the Syrian Arab Republic is a key development after nearly a year and a half of work by the UN Human Rights Office supporting the institution’s launch.
1
1
1
Edited News | IOM , UNICEF , UNRWA , WHO
The head of the UN migration agency stressed on Friday that Syria is in no position to take back millions of Syrians following the fall of the Assad regime, while there is an urgent need to “re-evaluate” sanctions impacting the war-ravaged country.
1
1
1
Edited News | IIIM , UNHCR
Syria: ‘Key priority’ is to preserve evidence of crimes – UN investigators
In Syria, new access to evidence of horrific human rights violations means that accountability may be closer than ever – if only proof can be preserved, a top UN investigator said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OSE , ICRC , UNHCR
Syria: UN and partners urge action to preserve evidence of prison atrocities, stabilize country
Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria five days ago, hundreds of people have rushed to Saydnaya prison, desperate to find loved ones. Disturbing images from the prison and other detention centers have since surfaced, exposing the “unimaginable barbarity Syrians have endured for years,” said Jenifer Fenton, spokesperson for the UN special envoy for Syria, on Friday.
1
1
2
Edited News | UNRWA
Gaza: “Sickening normalisation” of suffering, amid attacks on people and aid convoys
Ongoing military operations by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) in Gaza continue to devastate Palestinian children and families, with mounting casualties and a critical lack of humanitarian aid for the desperate population.
“Local media reporting here that last night, 30 people were killed in this area in strikes” said a senior emergency officer with the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), Louise Wateridge, speaking to reporters in Geneva from central Gaza.
2
1
2
Press Conferences , Edited News | OHCHR
Rights experts call for end to impunity for Israel’s violations of international law
Four independent human rights experts have jointly called for the international community to sanction Israel’s conduct of hostilities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory as well as in the wider Middle East region - including in Syria, Lebanon and Iran. They also called for the restoration of trust in the international justice system through the abandonment of “extreme interpretations” and “double standards” in the application of the universal norms regulating the conduct of war.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , UNHCR
Syria: needs continue to grow amid highly uncertain situation, say aid teams
The historic power shift in Syria and the still volatile situation two days after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime have increased humanitarian needs in a country where nearly 17 million people, including millions of internally displaced, already depended on humanitarian aid before the recent events, UN aid teams said on Tuesday.
2
1
3
Edited News , Press Conferences | OSES
Barely 48 hours since opposition forces including Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) swept into Damascus and forced out President Bashar al-Assad, the top UN negotiator tasked with helping Syrians’ create a peaceful and democratic future insisted that nothing could be taken for granted.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Monday called on States to do all in their power to end senseless conflicts and suffering.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
No evacuation order given before Kamal Adwan Hospital strike, says WHO
One of the last partially functional health centres in northern Gaza was reportedly hit again overnight into Friday by several strikes, leaving four health workers among the casualties and the dead, according to the UN World Health Organization (WHO).
2
1
2
Edited News , Press Conferences | OCHA
More than 280,000 people have been uprooted in northwest Syria in a matter of days following the sudden and massive offensive into Government-controlled areas led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which is sanctioned by the Security Council as a terrorist group.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk has called on the Georgian authorities to respect and protect the rights to freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly following several nights of protests that were marred by violence, and dispersed using disproportionate, and in some cases unnecessary, force by the police in the capital, Tbilisi.