Nobel Peace Prize laureate Tawakkul Karman has accused Saudi Arabia of terror against its own citizens. The background is the case of the disappeared and possibly murdered Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul.
"The crime highlights the situation of human rights in Saudi Arabia and the state terrorism that has been carried out," the Yemeni journalist told Al Jazeera during a protest in front of the Saudi Arabian Consulate in Istanbul.
Karman received her Nobel Peace Prize in 2011 together with Leymah Gbowee and Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf from Liberia for her peaceful fight for women's rights.
DPA
The Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul
Journalist and dissident Khashoggi entered the Consulate in Istanbul in the Levent district last Tuesday to collect papers for his wedding. According to Turkish officials, video footage shows he has not left the building. The media and friends, citing Turkish investigators and government officials, said Khashoggi was murdered. Saudi Arabia rejected the allegations. According to Khashoggi to be gone after visiting the consulate.
"Saudi Arabia wanted to silence Kashoggi"
"His abduction and his disappearance are a great crime, and those who committed them must be held to account - including (Crown Prince) Mohammed bin Salman," Karman continued. The powerful heir to the throne was privy to the details of the case, which now has to be investigated internationally.
"Saudi Arabia wanted to silence Jamal Khashoggi, but what happened was the opposite, his voice has grown stronger and continues to spread." Hundreds of cases of mistreatment and violence against prisoners in Saudi Arabian prisons also came into focus.
The case creates further tension between Turkey and Saudi Arabia. Even before, the relationship between the two countries was difficult because both Ankara and Riyadh are fighting for influence in the region. The disappearance of Kashoggi could now trigger a serious crisis.