Congress urges US government to boycott Saudi G20 summit due to human rights concerns

 US President Donald Trump (2nd-R) and Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud (L) dancing with swords at a welcome ceremony ahead of a banquet at the Murabba Palace in Riyadh

Credit: AFP

Forty-five members of the House of Congress have urged the US government to boycott November’s G20 summit in Saudi Arabia unless the Kingdom addresses concerns over human rights. 

In a letter to Mike Pompeo, the US secretary of state, the lawmakers demand the release of jailed Saudi activists and an end to Saudi Arabia’s military campaign in neighbouring Yemen, as well as accountability for the 2018 murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.

"As the world’s leading democracy and purveyor of human rights, our government should demand dramatic changes to Saudi Arabia’s dismal record of human rights violations," states the letter.  

"Should the Saudi government fail to take immediate steps to address this record, we should withdraw from the Saudi-led G20 summit and commit to making human rights reforms a condition of all future dealings with Saudi Arabia’s government."

The letter will add yet more tension to Washington’s relationship with Riyadh, which has been severely tested by the Khashoggi murder and numerous claims of human rights abuses committed by Saudi-led forces in Yemen. 

File image of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi

Credit: AP

It also follows a European parliament resolution earlier this month which called on the EU to downgrade its attendance at the summit due to human rights issues. 

Khashoggi was killed and dismembered in Saudi Arabia’s Istanbul consulate in October 2018, allegedly on the orders of Mohammed bin Salman, the Kingdom’s Crown Prince and de facto ruler. 

Bin Salman vehemently denies any role in what he has described as a “heinous crime” and instead blames the killing on rogue Saudi agents. 

Earlier this week, the slain journalist’s fiancée filed a lawsuit in the United States seeking damages and accountability from the Crown Prince and dozens of senior Saudi officials. 

President Donald Trump has maintained a close relationship with the Crown Prince and has resisted pressure from Congress to adopt a tougher stance on Saudi Arabia, in part due to lucrative defence deals between the two countries.