UK to ask Saudis about Khashoggi murder

By Ahmet Gurhan Kartal

LONDON (AA) - British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt will visit Saudi Arabia this week and various issues, including the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi will be raised with Saudi officials, a senior minister said Tuesday.

Minister of State Mark Field said some 80 journalists have been murdered across the globe last year, and the murder of Khashoggi is a “worst” and “glary” example.

On Oct. 2, Khashoggi was killed shortly after entering the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. Riyadh initially denied any role in the killing but has since sought to blame his death on a botched rendition operation by rogue agents.

Asked about the government’s findings on the killing of Khashoggi from Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry, Field said there will be a conference in July to look at the dangers the journalists face.

Field said progress is expected during Hunt's visit to Riyadh on very serious issues raised by Thornberry.

“There are no official answers and there are no official actions” on Khashoggi murder, Thornberry said.

Underlining the foreign secretary’s visit to Berlin last week, Thornberry criticized Hunt’s call on “one of the few governments who are ready to act on Khashoggi by banning the arm sales to Yemen [sic.]” and him telling them “they were wrong to do so”.

Hunt last week criticized Germany’s ban on arms exports to Saudi Arabia, ahead of his official talks in Berlin last week.

He told reporters that arms sales to Saudi Arabia were important to have a political influence on Riyadh.

“When I talk to [German Foreign Minister] Heiko Maas what I say is that strategic relationship that the U.K. has with Saudi Arabia is what allows us to have a huge influence,” he said.

Thornberry asked Field whether the foreign secretary would be “telling us all the people who are he believes responsible and what action they are going to take in response.”

Field said the Hunt will visit Saudi Arabia and then update the House of Commons by April 2.