Geneva:
The U.N. human rights workplace mentioned on Wednesday it confirmed the accuracy of published remarks by the independent professional who led an investigation into the murder of Jamal Khashoggi alleging that a senior Saudi official had created a threat against her.
The Guardian newspaper on Tuesday quoted Agnes Callamard, U.N. professional on summary killings, as saying a Saudi official had threatened she would be “taken care of” if she was not reined in following her investigation into the journalist’s murder.
Saudi officials did not respond to a request for comment. Callamard did not respond when contacted by Reuters.
“We confirm that the details in the Guardian story about the threat aimed at Agnes Callamard are accurate,” U.N. human rights spokesman Rupert Colville mentioned in an e-mail reply to Reuters.
The U.N. human rights workplace had informed Callamard about the threat as effectively as U.N. safety and authorities, he added.
Callamard told the Guardian the threat was conveyed in a January 2020 meeting amongst Saudi and U.N. officials in Geneva. She mentioned she was told of the incident by a U.N. colleague, the newspaper reported.
Callamard led a U.N. investigation into the October 2018 killing of Khashoggi by Saudi agents at the kingdom’s Istanbul consulate. She issued a report in 2019 concluding there was “credible evidence” that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and senior Saudi officials have been accountable for killing the Washington Post journalist and U.S. resident.
She subsequently known as for sanctions against Prince Mohammed’s assets and international engagements.
The prince denies any involvement in the killing but has mentioned he bears ultimate duty mainly because it occurred beneath his watch.
The alleged threat was created in the course of a meeting amongst Geneva-based Saudi diplomats, a going to Saudi delegation and U.N. officials, the Guardian reported. After the Saudi side criticised Callamard’s work in the case, the newspaper reported, one senior Saudi official mentioned he had spoken to men and women ready to “take care of her.”
“A death threat. That was how it was understood,” Callamard was cited as saying. “People that were present, and also subsequently, made it clear to the Saudi delegation that this was absolutely inappropriate.”
Callamard has criticised a Saudi court’s ruling in September to jail eight men and women for up to 20 years for the murder, accusing the kingdom of producing a “mockery of justice” by not punishing more senior officials.
U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration, which has taken a tougher stance on Saudi’s human rights record, final month released an intelligence report that mentioned Prince Mohammed authorized an operation to capture or kill Khashoggi.
The Saudi government rejected the findings and reiterated that the murder was a heinous crime by a rogue group.
Callamard, whose replacement was announced on Wednesday, is taking up a new post as secretary basic of Amnesty International.
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