Saudi Arabia imposes a travel ban on Khashoggi’s family

The Geneva Council for Human Rights and Justice yesterday called on the Saudi authorities to immediately lift a travel ban it has imposed on the family of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was killed inside his country’s consulate in Istanbul, Turkey.

The Geneva Council, an international human rights organisation, expressed in a statement to Al-Khaleej Online its strong condemnation of the Riyadh authorities for banning Khashoggi’s family from travelling.

His son, Salah, was also “forced on Tuesday to receive condolences from Saudi King Salman Bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman.”

The rights body said Saudi’s actions are in violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which states: “Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state. Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.”

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The International Human Rights Council stressed that the travel ban on Khashoggi’s family is “a continuation of the horrific crime of his murder and an incident that would be added to the dark records of the Saudi regime in committing huge human rights violations, amid its full responsibility for the killing of the journalist known for his oppositionist positions.”

It questions the reasons behind the ban, saying “unless there is something they are hiding and they fear that the family would disclose it to the international public opinion if they feel safe outside the kingdom.”