EU urged to skip Saudi G20 summit over human rights violations

The European Parliament strongly urges the European Union to skip an upcoming Saudi-hosted virtual summit of the Group of 20 countries in light of Riyadh’s human rights abuses.

On Thursday, the parliament voted overwhelmingly in favor of a relevant resolution that could prompt European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and President of the European Council Charles Michel to forgo the meeting that is slated for November, Deutsche Welle reported.

According to the legislature’s website, the resolution was adopted with 413 votes in favor, 49 against, and 233 abstentions.

The measure ticked off a long list of Saudi abuses, including the violations that have been carried out during the 2015-present war by Riyadh and its allies against its southern neighbor Yemen. The war has martyred tens of thousands of Yemenis and forced entire Yemen close to the brink of outright famine.

The resolution also made mention of the 2018 murder and dismemberment of prominent dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul.

Last month too, the parliament had called on the EU to impose an arms embargo on Saudi Arabia over the war on Yemen and Khashoggi’s gruesome killing.

In the Thursday measure, the MEPs also singled out Riyadh’s notorious and unchecked trend of executions, its imprisonment and sentencing to death of teenage activist Ali Mohammed Baqir al-Nimr, and prosecution of women's rights activists.

MG