Saudi Arabian crown prince Mohammed bin Salman and other high-ranking Saudi officials have been accused of committing crimes against humanity in a criminal complaint filed in Germany by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) ), the media freedom agency.
The 500-page complaint, filed by the German public prosecutor general in a federal justice court in Karlsruhe, is based on the “widespread and systematic” persecution of journalists in Saudi Arabia, -inclusive arrest of 34 journalists there and murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Washington Post columnist
“These journalists have suffered from unlawful killing, torture, sexual violence and rape and disappeared,” Christophe Deloire, general secretary of Reporters Without Borders, said at a news conference Tuesday. .
RSF has chosen to file its complaint in Germany because German laws give its courts jurisdiction over international crimes committed abroad, even without a German connection. RSF indicated that it hoped that its complaint, based on Prince Mohammed and four senior officials, would lead the German prosecutor to open a so-called “situation analysis”, which could lead to an investigation. a formal allegation as to whether the Saudi authorities have committed crimes against humanity by targeting reporters.
“The official opening of a criminal investigation in Germany into the crimes against humanity in Saudi Arabia would be a world first,” said RSF director in Germany Christian Mihr. “We will ask the public prosecutor to open a situational analysis, with a view to formally launching a prosecution investigation and issuing arrest warrants.”
RSF said the detainees are victims of multiple counts of crimes against humanity, including intentional murder, torture, sexual violence and rape, and out of urgency, unlawful loss of liberty, and persecution. Focusing on dozens of cases of detained journalists, RSF said it was clear that all Saudi journalists, especially those who speak out against the government, in danger.
“The truth has been revealed but that is not enough,” said Khashoggi’s girlfriend, Hatice Cengiz, who said she would give evidence as part of any investigation. “The murderer cannot be allowed to get away with it, or it will happen again.”
The complaint came just days after the U.S. released an undisclosed intelligence report on the 2018 Khashoggi assassination in a Saudi consulate, said U.S. intelligence agencies agreed with the 35-year-old Saudi heir.
The plea by RSF to try to persuade German prosecutors to open a case against the Saudi crown prince came after the recent conviction in Germany of a Syrian secret police officer for aiding and abetting. abolish crimes against humanity for its role in the torture of protesters ten years ago. . Eyad al-Gharib, a 44-year-old former low-ranking officer in the Syrian intelligence service, carried out orders in one of Bashar al-Assad’s prisons.
The “suspects” in the Saudi RSF case are the crown prince, known as “MBS”, his close adviser to Saud al-Qahtani, Ahmad Asiri, who was arrested by the US and he is said to have led the murder of Khashoggi, Mohammad al-Otaibi, the consul general in Istanbul at the time of the murder, and Maher Mutreb, an intelligence officer accused of directing the torture.
Biden’s administration has been criticized for its decision not to take further action against Prince Mohammed, even though he publicly admitted he was behind Khashoggi’s assassination. The Saudi government has denied that it intended to assassinate the Washington Post column and has said the killing was a fraudulent activity by Saudi representatives.