Zarif criticises Washington for continuing to support Riyadh after Khashoggi's assassination

Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif criticized the United States’ continued support for Saudi Arabia despite the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

This came in a speech by Zarif broadcast by the Iranian official TV channel during a ceremony marking the “Human Rights and Human Dignity” day in Tehran.

On the assassination of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at his country’s consulate in Istanbul, Zarif said: “If you have close ties to a centre of power, all your actions can be justified, even if you cut a person into pieces, you can benefit from the largest military agreements.”

Zarif also criticised the US’s support for Israel despite the latter’s serious human rights violations. He pointed out that the United States has been ignoring Israel’s human rights violations in the occupied territories.

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Khashoggi was killed on 2 October at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in a case that has shaken international public opinion and sparked widespread condemnation.

A few weeks ago, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights published a 101-page report by the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial executions, Agnes Callamard, holding Saudi Arabia responsible for the deliberate assassination of Khashoggi, and confirming the existence of credible evidence requiring investigation with senior Saudi officials, including Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman.

“The assassination of Khashoggi is an extrajudicial execution, for which Saudi Arabia is responsible,” Callamard’s report mentioned.

The report also explained that the penalties for Khashoggi’s assassination should include the Saudi Crown Prince and his personal belongings abroad. It also called on Riyadh to apologise to Khashoggi’s family before public opinion and pay compensations to the family.