Khashoggi affair: We call on Saudi Arabia to end its violence against journalists

Newspaper columnist Jamal Khashoggi’s brutal murder inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on 2 October, which has shocked the entire world, reflects the barbaric practices and unacceptable feeling of impunity that prevail in Saudi Arabia. This shocking crime has shown everyone the grim reality of your Kingdom’s policy for silencing journalists, based on flogging, torture, abduction and even, as we have now seen, outright murder.

Ever since your appointment as crown prince in June 2017 and the ensuring purges, the number of journalists and bloggers imprisoned in Saudi Arabia has doubled. At least 28 journalists and bloggers are currently detained. You must both reveal the truth about Jamal Khashoggi’s murder and end these practices, which belong to a bygone age.

We call on you to immediately and unconditionally release the 28 journalists and bloggers held for exercising their right to freedom of information and opinion, including Raif Badawi, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison and 1,000 lashes, Alaa Brinji, who was sentenced to seven years in prison, and Iman al Nafjan, a female blogger. It is time to end the despicable practices that make you imprison journalists on absurd grounds.