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Jamal Khashoggi: Germany and EU condemn Saudi explanation of death Jamal Khashoggi's death: western countries condemn Saudi explanation
(about 9 hours later)
Germany’s chancellor has demanded “transparency” from Riyadh over the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and the EU foreign policy chief called it a “shocking violation” of international conventions as western condemnation grows over Saudi Arabia’s handling of the affair. Western governments have rejected the official Saudi Arabian explanation for the death of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi as not credible and said they would wait for the full report from Turkish authorities before deciding on what punishment – if any – to impose on Riyadh.
Angela Merkel and her foreign minister, Heiko Maas, issued a joint statement on Saturday, saying “the information provided about the sequence of events in the consulate in Istanbul isn’t sufficient”. Ministers in the governments of France, Germany, the UK and Canada all criticised the Saudi claim made late on Friday that Khashoggi died in a “fistfight” inside its Istanbul consulate – Riyadh’s first acknowledgement of his death after two weeks of denials that the kingdom was involved in his disappearance on 2 October.
Saudi Arabia said on Friday that Khashoggi died in a “fistfight” inside its Istanbul consulate – Riyadh’s first acknowledgement of his death after two weeks of denials that it was involved in his disappearance on 2 October. On Sunday, a senior Saudi official gave Reuters the Saudis’ most comprehensive account yet of the journalist’s killing, adding that a team of 15 men had acted without authorisation from powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to extradite the writer. He was accidentally choked after resisting, the official said, and his body rolled up in a rug and given to a “local cooperator” for disposal.
Merkel and Maas said they “condemned the crime in the sharpest possible manner”, adding that they expected “transparency from Saudi Arabia about the circumstances of [Khashoggi’s] death and the background”. They said “those responsible must be held to account”. A member of the team then dressed in Khashoggi’s clothes to make it appear as if he had left the consulate, the official said. Riyadh was given a false report from the team, he added, which was why it had taken so long for Saudi Arabia to investigate his death.
During a party conference in the eastern state of Thuringia on Saturday, Merkel referred briefly to Saudi Arabia and “the terrible events” surrounding Khashoggi’s death, saying “still nothing has been cleared up”. She added: “Of course we are demanding that they be cleared up”. Turkish investigators allege an audio recording from the consulate proves the journalist was tortured and his body dismembered with a bone saw – charges Riyadh denies.
Maas has also called into question the sale of arms to Saudi Arabia. He told German public broadcaster ARD on Saturday that “as long as these investigations continue, as long as we don’t know what happened there, there’s no basis for reaching positive decisions on arms exports to Saudi Arabia”. The UK’s Brexit minister, Dominic Raab, was asked in an interview on BBC TV if he believed the Saudi explanation. He said: “No, I don’t think it is credible … We support the Turkish investigation into it and the British government will want to see people held to account for that death.” The foreign office has yet to put out an official statement, but is consulting on a joint international statement.
The European Union foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, called for a thorough, credible and transparent investigation. Earlier on Sunday, the French finance minister, Bruno Le Maire, said “full light needs to be shed”. He said: “I note that the Saudi authorities have changed tack, admitted the facts and accepted some responsibility, so we’re making progress.”
“The emerging circumstances of Jamal Khashoggi’s death are deeply troubling, including the shocking violation of the 1963 Vienna convention on consular relations,” Mogherini said. In a joint statement issued on Saturday the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, and her foreign minster, Heiko Maas, said information provided by the Saudis was insufficient and called for more transparency.
“Therefore the European Union, like its partners, insists on the need for continued thorough, credible and transparent investigation, shedding proper clarity on the circumstances of the killing and ensuring full accountability of all those responsible for it.” The EU’s foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, described Khashoggi’s death as a “shocking violation” of international conventions. The Canadian foreign minister, Chrsytia Freeland, said in a statement on Saturday that “the explanations offered to date lack consistency and credibility”. Australia’s prime minister, Scott Morrison, said: “We deplore the killing of Jamal Khashoggi. We expect the Saudi government to cooperate fully with Turkish authorities regarding the investigation of this matter.”
The French foreign minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, said many questions remained “unanswered” and insisted “they require exhaustive and diligent investigation”. In the US, opinion against Saudi Arabia was hardening, but differences remain on the form of sanctions that should be imposed. The US treasury secretary, Steve Mnuchin, added to an increasingly stern tone from Washington on Sunday, echoing an earlier statement from Donald Trump that the Saudi explanation of the dissident’s death was a “good first step” but “obviously not enough”.
Canada’s foreign minister, Chrystia Freeland, said “the explanations offered to date lack consistency and credibility”. Mnuchin has bowed out of a major international investment conference in Riyadh next week, as have several leading US business figures and international officials. But he said he would still travel to Riyadh this week in an effort to reinforce ties. “We have an important relationship with Saudi, focused on combating terrorist financing and focused on our common interests of stopping Iran’s spread of both terrorism and other issues,” he said. “I am going to go there and meet with my counterparts and continue to focus on what’s in the Treasury’s domain, as it relates to this issue.”
Australia’s prime minister, Scott Morrison, said: “We deplore the killing of Jamal Khashoggi. We expect the Saudi government to cooperate fully with Turkish authorities regarding the investigation of this matter.” Trump had said he found Saudi Arabia’s explanation of Khashoggi’s death credible and described it as an “important first step”. But asked on Saturday if he was satisfied that Saudi officials had been fired over the death, he said: “No, I am not satisfied until we find the answer. But it was a big first step, it was a good first step. But I want to get to the answer.”
The US president, Donald Trump, had said he found Saudi Arabia’s explanation about Khashoggi death as credible and termed it an “important first step”. The controversy has put the kingdom – for decades a key ally in western efforts to contain Iran – under unprecedented pressure. It has also evolved into a major crisis for Bin Salman, a Trump administration favourite widely known as MBS, whose image as a modernising Arab reformer has been gravely undermined.
But asked during a trip to Nevada if he was satisfied that Saudi officials had been fired over the death, Trump, said: “No, I am not satisfied until we find the answer. But it was a big first step, it was a good first step. But I want to get to the answer.”
Trump’s comments about the Khashoggi incident in recent days have ranged from threatening Saudi Arabia with “very severe” consequences and warning of economic sanctions, to more conciliatory remarks in which he has played up the country’s role as a US ally against Iran and Islamist militants, as well as a major purchaser of US arms.
Britain’s Foreign Office said on Saturday: “We are considering the Saudi report and our next steps.” It added: “As the foreign secretary has said, this was a terrible act and those responsible must be held to account.”
A UN spokesman said the UN secretary general, António Guterres, was “deeply troubled” by the confirmation of Khashoggi’s death and called for a thorough and transparent investigation.
Jamal KhashoggiJamal Khashoggi
Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia
GermanyGermany
Middle East and North AfricaMiddle East and North Africa
EuropeEurope
Angela MerkelAngela Merkel
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