A CALL TO END IMPUNITY OF CRIMES AGAINST JOURNALISTS: An Independent International Investigation for the Case of Jamal Khashoggi
November 2nd marked the United Nation’s International Day to End Impunity of Crimes Against Journalists, a matter of grave concern in the Arab region.
This landmark resolution condemns all attacks and violence against journalists and media workers. It also urges Member States to do their utmost to prevent violence against journalists and media workers, to ensure accountability, bring to justice perpetrators of crimes against journalists and media workers, and ensure that victims have access to appropriate remedies.
ACHRS encourages not only the support of this principle resolution, but advocates both for its awareness and implementation across the Arab region. The urgency of such cannot be understated; the past twelve years has seen close to 1001 journalists slain, with nine out of ten of perpetrators subject to no real accountability or justice.
Furthermore, in light of the recent atrocity committed in suppression of the freedom of expression, the senseless murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the Arab world is, in Khashoggi’s words “facing its own version of the iron curtain, imposed not by external actors, but through domestic forces vying for power”.
To allow for the impunity of those responsible for this heinous act, is to pave way for further transgressions on the human rights of journalists; seldom accompanied by neutrality, accountability or transparency of the justice process.
The Khashoggi murder was a clear violation and a blatant abuse of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, to avoid further politicisation of this case, the ACHRS calls for an independent international investigation commissioned by the United Nations Security Council or High Commissioner for Human Rights.
The necessity for a transparent and neutral investigation cannot, and should not, be trivialised. The condemnation of such attacks is no longer a sufficient or credible response from the international community. ACHRS calls for the Independent International Investigation Commission to, at the very least, change the narrative.
In support of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in particular Article 19’s Freedom of Expression, ACHRS condemns both the subjugation of crimes against journalists, and the impunity of its perpetrators.
