Saudi Arabia accuses Australia of ‘sympathising’ with Christchurch mosque killer
- Earlier this week, Australia led a coalition of countries condemning Saudi Arabia over a raft of human rights abuses, including the murder of Jamal Khashoggi
- The Saudi ambassador, Abdulaziz Alwasil, in response launched an extraordinary broadside, targeting Australia and highlighting ‘radicalism against Muslims, xenophobia, racism’
Australia’s ambassador to the UN, Sally Mansfield, delivered a statement on behalf of 24 nations to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, excoriating the Saudi kingdom for systematic violence and human rights abuses, particularly against those who oppose the ruling regime.
The Australian mission to the UN was a key drafter and organiser of the statement. Other backers of the statement included the UK, Canada, Germany and New Zealand.
“We remain deeply concerned at the human rights situation in Saudi Arabia ,” Mansfield said. “Civil society actors in Saudi Arabia still face persecution and intimidation. Human rights defenders, women’s rights activists, journalists and dissidents remain in detention, or under threat. We are concerned at reports of torture, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, unfair trials, and harassment of individuals engaged in promoting and defending human rights, their families and colleagues.”
Saudi Arabia itself is a member of the 47-member UN Human Rights Council, though the country’s ambassador was not in the room to hear the speech, having left to host his country’s national day reception. But a day later the Saudi ambassador, Abdulaziz Alwasil, launched an extraordinary broadside, targeting Australia.
He said minorities, migrants and Muslims face “horrific violations of human rights … racist and extremist policies”.
“Unfortunately, these have become popular and even accepted by some western parliaments, they are even sponsored by certain governments,” he said.
