The Human Rights Council calls on Saudi Arabia to release all political opponents

Twenty-nine countries in the Human Rights Council called on Saudi Arabia to release all political opponents and women’s rights activists, and to provide the necessary accountability for past violations.

Twenty-nine countries in the Human Rights Council called on Saudi Arabia to release all political opponents and women’s rights activists, and to provide the necessary accountability for past violations.

The joint statement of countries, which was read by the representative of Denmark to the Saudi Human Rights Council, also called for “a transparent trial and accountability for those responsible for the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in October 2018 in his country’s consulate in Istanbul, Turkey.

The statement also condemned “the continued detention of at least five women human rights defenders who were arrested in 2018,” and expressed their concern about “the use of the anti-terrorism law against individuals.”

Denmark read a separate joint statement on behalf of about 29 countries, including Australia, Britain and Canada, urging the Kingdom to “release all political prisoners.”