Saudi Arabia: back to business as usual despite accusations in the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi
Dozens of global policymakers and tycoons attend a Saudi investment summit starting Today in Riyadh from Oct. 29-31, According to the organisers, around 300 speakers are invited to participate from 30 countries
this dynamic investment platform. The focus of the event is the AI importance, application and its impact on societies, economies and politics. So called “Davos in the desert” demonstrates Saudi’s ambition to play a leading role in the area of AI development. The summit thought to become a forum of high-level engagement that would include attendance of state leaders, heads of technology companies, academics and researchers in AI industry.
Last year’s investment summit organised by Saudi Arabia was massively boycotted by high-level officials and top CEOs over the accusations of involvement of the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the arbitrary killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul consulate. It seems back to business as usual after a bit more than a year of a global outrage over these accusations and threats of sanctions over Saudi human rights record. A strong turnout is expected at the 3-day summit in 2019, including India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin leading the American delegation with Energy Secretary Rick Perry and Jared Kushner, son-in-law and senior adviser to President Donald Trump, top executives of Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase.
On 30 September, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman accepted “full responsibility as a leader in Saudi Arabia,” for the grisly murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, but denied allegations of his complicity in this “heinous crime”. Ms. Callamard, the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions has strongly reacted to this statement. Madame Rapporteur stated that “the main implication of the recognition should be a formal acknowledgement, apologies and demonstration of non-repetition”.
Geneva Council for Rights and Liberties calls to boycott 2019 Riyadh investment summit and instead to exercise universal jurisdiction to ensure fair and transparent trial on Khashoggi case. GCRL reminds the international community that Khashoggi killing was “premeditated execution as a result of elaborate planning involving extensive coordination and significant human and financial resources”. Moreover, we consider that the killing of Mr Khashoggi constitutes an international crime over which other States should claim universal jurisdiction due to six violations of international law: the prohibition against arbitrary deprivation of life, a fundamental principle of international law; the prohibition against extraterritorial use of force as enshrined in the UN Charter; the requirement that states use consular missions for official purposes; the prohibition against torture, under the terms of the Convention Against Torture, ratified by Saudi Arabia, and the prohibition against enforced disappearance, the protection of freedom of expression.
See more on our advocacy activities in relation to Khashoggi case at http://genevacouncil.com/en/
See more on our advocacy activities in relation to Khashoggi case at http://genevacouncil.com/e
