United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres does not have the authority to launch a criminal probe into the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujjaric said on Wednesday in response to a special rapporteur's call for such an investigation
UNITED NATIONS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 19th June, 2019) United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres does not have the authority to launch a criminal probe into the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujjaric said on Wednesday in response to a special rapporteur's call for such an investigation.Earlier in the day, UN Special Rapporteur Agnes Callamard issued a report calling on Guterres to launch a follow-up criminal probe of the killing due to "credible evidence" that warrants further investigation of senior Saudi officials, including Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
"The Secretary-General, as we have been saying, does not have the power or the authority to launch criminal investigations without a mandate from a competent intergovernmental body," Dujarric said in a press briefing following the release of Callamard's report.
Dujarric emphasized that such a probe would require a green light from either UN member states or the Security Council.
"If a full investigation is not conducted by member states, the only way to effectively pursue an investigation, requiring the cooperation of relevant member states, would be through a resolution of the Security Council under the appropriate charter provisions and all member states should cooperate with those efforts," Dujarric said.
Khashoggi, a columnist for the Washington Post, went missing last October after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Riyadh initially denied any knowledge of the journalist's whereabouts but eventually admitted that Khashoggi was killed and dismembered inside the embassy.
Saudi authorities have charged 11 people with Khashoggi's murder but has repeatedly denied that the crown prince was involved in the killing.
