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Published image, Getty Images
US President Joe Biden had a phone conversation with Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz as he sought to lay a new foundation for relations with the former US ally.
The White House said Biden “underlined the importance the” United States “attaches to international human rights and the rule of law.
Biden called after reading a pending US report on the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
The report, due for publication soon, is expected to make reference to the involvement of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Biden’s predecessor, Donald Trump, sought to strengthen ties with Saudi Arabia.
The Trump administration has rejected the legal obligation to release an unclassified version of the report, instead focusing on improving cooperation with the Saudis.
Biden is expected to take a stronger stance on some Saudi Arabia related issues.
Khashoggi’s body was dismembered during his 2018 murder inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. However, the crown prince denies his involvement.
Saudi authorities blamed Khashoggi’s murder on a “rogue operation” carried out by a team of agents who had been sent to bring him back to the kingdom. Last September, a Saudi court sentenced five people to 20 years in prison, after initially being sentenced to death.
What did Biden say? During the call؟
Khashoggi was not mentioned by name in the White House statement, but he said: “The president referred positively to the recent release of several Saudi-American activists and Ms. Loujain Al-Hathloul, and underscored the importance the United States attaches to rights and the rule of law. “
Published image, Reuters
Donald Trump preferred to deal directly with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
Authorities released Saudi women’s rights activist Loujain Al-Hathloul this month after nearly three years in detention, but she is still banned from traveling and speaking to the media.
The two leaders referred to “the long-standing partnership between the United States and Saudi Arabia” and the threat that pro-Iranian groups pose to Saudi Arabia.
“The president informed King Salman that he will work to make bilateral relations as solid and transparent as possible,” the statement said.
“The two leaders stressed the historic nature of the relationship and agreed to work together on issues of common interest,” he added.
How was Khashoggi killed?
The 59-year-old journalist, known for his criticism of the Saudi authorities, visited the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October 2018 to obtain documents allowing him to marry his Turkish fiancee.
Published image, Reuters
He reportedly received assurances from the crown prince’s brother, Prince Khalid bin Salman, who was then the US ambassador, that visiting the consulate would be safe. Prince Khaled has denied any contact with Khashoggi.
According to the Saudi prosecutor’s office, Khashoggi was forcibly immobilized after resisting and was injected with a large amount of anesthetic, which led to his death. Prosecutors said his body was then dismembered and handed over to a local “collaborator” outside the consulate. His remains have not been found.
Grim details have been revealed in transcripts of alleged audio recordings of the murder, obtained by Turkish intelligence services.
Khashoggi previously worked as an adviser to the Saudi government and was close to the royal family, but his relationship with the royal family deteriorated and he imposed himself in exile in the United States in 2017.
From there, he wrote a monthly column in the Washington Post, in which he criticized the policies of Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
In his first opinion piece in the newspaper, Khashoggi said he feared being arrested in a seemingly anti-opposition campaign overseen by the Emir.
In his recent article, he criticized Saudi Arabia’s involvement in the conflict in Yemen.
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