Saudi scandal in EU Parliament reflects deterioration of its position
The KSA’s scandal in the European Parliament in Brussels, after being subjected to severe criticism, constituted new evidence of the deteriorating status of the Kingdom due to the policies of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Members of the European Parliament criticized the Kingdom on the sidelines of the speech of Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir in Parliament.
Interventions of members of the European Parliament showed a consensus on criticizing the Kingdom and its policies, especially those related to its black record in human rights and the crimes it perpetrates in Yemen.
In his intervention, the European Parliament member, Petros Ostravisius, raised the issue of the arbitrary detention of the Al Saud regime, blogger Raif Badawi.
“We want to partner with the Kingdom, but the ball is in your court,” Austrivisius told Al-Jubeir, referring to the need to stop human rights violations from the regime.
He emphasized that the horrific and brutal killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the beginning of October 2018 inside the Kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, requires the accountability of the Saud House.
For his part, European Parliament member Stelios Kuloglu said that al-Jubeir’s speech to Parliament on freedom of expression and women’s rights in the Kingdom was incompatible with the presence of women’s rights in prison.
Kuloglu referred to the theatrical trial of the Khashoggi killers and the exclusion of the kingdom’s leadership from responsibility, stressing that the responsibility of the Saudi regime for the crime is proven and confirmed.
“I hope that no one will come to cut off me and my colleagues because we criticized the Kingdom,” said Al-Jubeir, citing the brutality of the murder of journalist Khashoggi and the cutting of his body.
Kuloglu highlighted that Yemen is witnessing a humanitarian catastrophe due to the military intervention from the Saudi regime and its criminal war that has been going on for more than four years, stressing that Riyadh bears responsibility for this.
On the other hand, Al-Jubeir resorted, in the face of his criticisms, to launching a verbal attack on the members of the Foreign Relations Committee in the European Parliament, saying that “his country is a sovereign country and does not accept that you attend.”
Al-Jubeir considered that “Saudi Arabia is not a country of banana republics,” and he claimed that “a lot of information spread about Saudi Arabia is based on rumors.”
Al-Jubeir claimed that the Kingdom “continues to work to combat terrorism to eliminate it, and has been pursuing for some time all those who spread extremism and terrorism,” he said.
A discussion took place between Al-Jubeir and the European Parliament, where he touched on a number of issues related to the regional situation and the situation in Yemen and the human rights file.
Al-Jubeir claimed that the Kingdom does not receive any lessons from anyone, and does not give lessons to anyone. Rather, we are friends and allies, but a sovereign state cannot be tried without sufficient information and data.
