Human Rights Watch: Argentina Should Investigate Bin Salman’s Role in Khashoggi’s Murder

Human Rights Watch has urged Argentina to utilize the war crimes clause in its constitution to investigate the role of Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, in crimes against humanity in Yemen and the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi dissident journalist. Argentina's constitution recognizes international jurisdiction for war crimes and torture, meaning judicial authorities can investigate and prosecute those involved in these crimes, regardless of where they occurred. On Monday, December 5, Human Rights Watch stated that it had submitted its request to Ariel Lieu, a federal judge in Argentina. Reuters reports that neither Judge Lieu's office nor the Attorney General's office in Argentina responded to requests for comment on this matter. Sarah Leah Whitson, the director of Human Rights Watch's Middle East and North Africa division, announced that the organization submitted this request to Argentina because Mohammed bin Salman is scheduled to attend the G20 summit in Buenos Aires this week. Whitson told Reuters, "We submitted this petition to Argentine prosecutors in the hope that they will investigate Bin Salman’s involvement and responsibility for potential war crimes in Yemen, as well as the torture of citizens, including Jamal Khashoggi." International prosecution of those accused of involvement in torture and war crimes has had successful precedents in the past, such as Spanish judge Baltasar Garzón issuing an arrest warrant for former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet in London in 1998. However, Argentine media, citing judicial sources, have reported that it is unlikely that officials in the country will open a case against the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, who is the de facto ruler of the country. Tunisian journalists have installed a banner at their union depicting the Saudi Crown Prince with a saw, referencing the dismemberment of Jamal Khashoggi. Khashoggi's murder at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul by 15 Saudi agents sparked a wave of international reactions and has challenged Riyadh's relations with the West. While U.S. President Donald Trump has stated that "Bin Salman may or may not have been involved in the murder of this journalist," U.S. media, citing the CIA, have reported that the agency concluded that the Saudi Crown Prince ordered the murder. Some members of the U.S. Congress have also identified Mohammed bin Salman as the main suspect in this incident and have called for sanctions against Riyadh. Meanwhile, Riyadh officials have denied his involvement in the murder, claiming that the killers of the Saudi dissident journalist were "rogue agents" and have been arrested. In the six weeks since Khashoggi's murder, the media wave surrounding the incident has tarnished the image of the Saudi Crown Prince in public opinion. Recently, hundreds of people in Tunisia protested for the second consecutive day against Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to the country, labeling him as Khashoggi's murderer. The Saudi Crown Prince, who is traveling to several Arab countries, left Egypt for Tunisia on Tuesday. He has also visited Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. Reuters reports that hundreds of Tunisian protesters gathered in the central Habib Bourguiba street, reminiscent of similar protests in 2011 that led to the ousting of Ben Ali, the ruler of the country. Protesters chanted, "Murderer, you are not welcome in Tunisia" and "Shame on the rulers of Tunisia." Tunisian journalists have also installed a banner at their union depicting the Saudi Crown Prince with a saw, referencing Turkish officials' statements that Jamal Khashoggi was dismembered with a saw and his body was destroyed. Western countries, while condemning this murder, are calling for an end to the military campaign of the Arab coalition led by Saudi Arabia in Yemen, which has left thousands dead and millions at risk of famine over the past three years.