Ms. Agnes Callamard (France), the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, leading an independent human rights inquiry into the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi delivered her early findings. Her probe concluded that:
- Evidence points to prima facie case of brutal, premeditated killing
- Planned and perpetrated by officials from Saudi Arabia
- Expert denounces “immunity for impunity”
- Final report will be delivered to Human Rights Council in June
- An important role for the UN and the international community
“Evidence collected during my mission to Turkey shows prime facie case that Mr. Khashoggi was the victim of a brutal and premeditated killing, planned and perpetrated by officials of the State of Saudi Arabia,” said Agnes Callamard, at the end of a visit to Turkey.
The Special Rapporteur said the killing of Mr. Khashoggi was part of a well evidenced pattern of killings globally of journalists, other human rights defenders, activists and opponents of various regimes. “Fleeing abroad in search of safety has become less and less a reliable form of protection,” the Special Rapporteur said. “The international community must take a strong and collective stand against these practices,” she warned.
Callamard’s final report, to be presented to the Human Rights Council in June, will make a range of recommendations, including for the purpose of formal criminal accountability, and their bases in international law. “The human rights inquiry I have committed to undertake is a necessary step, among a number of others, towards crucial truth telling and formal accountability.”
The mission, from 28 January to 3 February, was the Special Rapporteur’s first official visit to the country.