The European Parliament adopted by 325 votes to 1, with 19 abstentions, a resolution on the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
The text adopted in plenary was tabled by the EPP, S&D, ECR, ALDE, Greens/EFA, GUE/NGL and EFDD groups.
As a reminder, the prominent Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi had been missing since entering the consulate of Saudi Arabia in Istanbul on 2 October 2018 to obtain documents necessary for his marriage, and had not been seen since, despite the Saudi officials initially saying that he left the building.
Extremely worrying information regarding his fate has come to light, prompting allegations of a possible extra-judicial killing and state-sponsored murder.
Having at first denied any involvement in Jamal Khashoggi’s disappearance, Saudia Arabia admitted that his killing took place in its consulate in Istanbul.
The European Union insisted on the need for a continued thorough, credible and transparent investigation, in order to shed proper light on the circumstances of the murder of Jamal Khashoggi and to ensure that all those bearing responsibility are held fully to account.
Parliament called on the VP/HR and the Member States, in this regard, to stand ready to impose targeted sanctions, including visa bans and asset freezes against Saudi individuals, as well as human rights sanctions against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, once the facts have been established.
Saudi Arabia is urged to immediately and unconditionally release all human rights defenders and other prisoners of conscience detained and sentenced for merely exercising their right to freedom of expression and carrying out their peaceful human rights work.
The resolution called for a moratorium on the death penalty and a review of all death sentences to ensure that the trials in question adhered to international standards. It also called for an embargo on the export of surveillance systems and other dual-use items that may be used in Saudi Arabia for the purposes of repression.