Saudi Arabia has on Thursday reiterated its decision rejecting calls for an international and independent probe into the killing of United States journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Saudi consulate of Istanbul last year on October 2.
According to Dawn news reports, in Geneva, while speaking before the UN human rights council, Saudi delegation head has insisted Saudi Arabi was taking all the necessary “measures required for us to resolve this heinous crime”.
Bandar Al-Aiban, who heads Saudi Arabia’s human rights commission, said any calls to “internationalize” the investigation “amount to an interference in our domestic affairs”.
His remarks came after 36 nations have last week issued a joint statement demanding for an international investigation into the Khashoggi’s killing and demanding justice to the perpetrators.
Aiban said that there had so far been three hearings and that the accused and their lawyers had been present.
He also said, “Representatives of international organisations as well as NGOs and other stakeholders … were able to monitor and see how the court cases were unfolding,” but didn’t specify what organization had been permitted into the procedure.
“Saudi Arabia is a sovereign country… Such demands made upon us are tantamount to the international community doubting the integrity of our judicial apparatus and doubting the independence of our judiciary,” he said.