Saudi Arabia: Crown Prince appointment by King as PM, provides him with diplomatic immunity, before visit to US, in relation to his involvement, planning and excecution of journalist Jamal Khashoggi murder

Many experts in international law agreed with the administration — but only because of the king's late September title boost for the crown prince, ahead of a scheduled U.S. decision.

“It would have been just as remarkable for the United States to deny MBS’s head-of-state immunity after his appointment as Prime Minister as it would have been for the United States to recognize MBS’s head-of-state immunity before his appointment,” William S. Dodge, a professor at the University of California-Davis School of Law, wrote, using the prince's initials.

Read more at: https://www.euronews.com

U.S. Diplomatic Push for Ukraine Falters in a Middle East Influenced by Russia -

Washington’s regional partners including Israel have so far rebuffed U.S. calls to come out against Moscow.

Read more at: U.S. Diplomatic Push for Ukraine Falters in a Middle East Influenced by Russia - WSJ

Afghanistan's universities now officially segregated by sex

Women in Afghanistan will be allowed to study in universities as the country seeks to rebuild after decades of war — but segregation by sex and a dress code will be mandatory, the Taliban's new higher education minister said on Sunday.

The minister, Abdul Baqi Haqqani, said the new Taliban government, named last week, would "start building the country on what exists today" and did not want to turn the clock back 20 years to when the movement was last in power.

He said female students would be taught by women wherever possible and classrooms would remain separated, in accordance with the movement's interpretation of Shariah law.

"Thanks to God we have a high number of women teachers. We will not face any problems in this. All efforts will be made to find and provide women teachers for female students," he told a news conference in Kabul.

Note EU-Digets: This is not unique for Afghanistan. Many Muslim countries who practice Sharia Law, including Saudi Arabia, a close ally of the US and many Western countries, which sell them billions of Dollars and Euros of weapons, have segragated places of learning.

Read more at: Afghanistan's universities now officially segregated by sex | CBC News

Saudi-Arabia - Human Rights: Wife of Jamal Khashoggi speaks to DW

Egyptian woman Hanan El Atr has come forward claiming to be the wife of murdered Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, after the CIA released a report claiming that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman personally ordered Khashoggi's death in October 2018. Riyadh has rejected the claims.

El Atr told DW's Oliver Sallet that she was "devastated" about the revelations in the report, saying her husband was not dangerous enough that he needed to be trapped and murdered. "I'm sure if they know the truth about Jamal, and I'm allowed to say his message and his truth, they will really regret what they did to my husband," she added.

El Atr also thanked US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for holding the Saudi crown prince accountable for Khashoggi's death. "They kept their word for human rights, they emphasize, and they've been transparent and help the truth to come out, which has encouraged me now, because I'm free to talk now, because I didn't have this freedom for two years," she said.

Read more at: Wife of Jamal Khashoggi speaks to DW | World| Breaking news and perspectives from around the globe | DW | 27.02.2021

Saudi Arabia - Human Rights Abuses: Saudi heir complicit in Khashoggi murder, US assessment reportedly finds

Joe Biden is expected to call Saudi Arabia’s King Salman, as his administration prepares to release a declassified intelligence assessment that will reportedly name the royal’s son and heir as complicit in the grisly murder of Jamal Khashoggi.

The White House confirmed on Wednesday that Biden’s call to the 85-year-old ruler would take place “soon” and that the declassified report on Khashoggi’s murder was being readied for release. Biden, who said he has read the report, is insisting that he speak only to the king.

Read more at: Saudi heir complicit in Khashoggi murder, US assessment reportedly finds | Jamal Khashoggi | The Guardian

Saudi Arabia faces a new geopolitical landscape with Biden in the White House - by Katie McQue

Saudi Arabia's global influence is expected to weaken following the end of Donald Trump's presidential term, as the US places a greater focus on climate policies, as well as pressing domestic and foreign affairs. This is leading the kingdom, which wields its status as the world's largest crude exporter to support its policy aims, to reposition itself geopolitically to garner favor with the incoming administration of Joe Biden.

Read more at: Saudi Arabia faces a new geopolitical landscape with Biden in the White House | S&P Global Platts

Arms Sales versus Human Rights: US approves sale of $290m in bombs to Saudi Arabia

Arms deals with Middle East dictatorships are being rushed through by Trump, critics say, despite opposition over human rights records.

The US state department has approved the sale of $290m in bombs to Saudi Arabia as part of a flurry of arms deals with Middle Eastern dictatorships in the last weeks of the Trump administration.

Critics of the sales say they are being rushed through despite broad congressional and public opposition to such military support because of the human rights records of the regimes involved and in the case of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the huge civilian death toll from the war in Yemen.

Read more at: US approves sale of $290m in bombs to Saudi Arabia | US news | The Guardian

US - Saudi Relations: Saudi court jails women's rights activist, posing challenge for Biden

A Saudi court on Monday sentenced prominent women’s rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul to nearly six years in prison, her family said, after her conviction in a trial that has drawn international condemnation.

The verdict and sentence pose a challenge to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s relationship with U.S. President-elect Joe Biden, who has criticised Riyadh’s human rights record.

Read more at: Saudi court jails women's rights activist, posing challenge for Biden | Reuters

The Netherlands: Should the Dutch ‘Black Pete’ tradition be abolished?

Many children in the Netherlands have grown up with the image of Black Pete, a helper for St Nicholas, an equivalent of Santa Claus.

The character is highly controversial, as the figure is usually portrayed by a white person wearing blackface makeup with exaggerated lips and an afro wig

Note EU-Digest: Indeed quite controversial. This has been a centuries old tradional Childrens celebration, before it became a racial issue. Amazing that the people promoting this as a racial issue have no qualms with the flagrant human rights violations of Saudi Arabia and many other countries around the world?

Read more at: Should the Dutch ‘Black Pete’ tradition be abolished? | Netherlands | Al Jazeera

Saudi Arabia: Human Rights Violations: Saudi activist's trial moved to specialized terrorism court following rare court appearance

The trial of Saudi activist Loujain Alhathloul has been transferred from Saudi Arabia's criminal court to a court specializing in terrorism charges, according to her family.

The move, which has been decried by human rights organizations like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, is the latest development in the case, which has been back in the spotlight following the G20 conference in Riyadh. The referral is a setback for efforts to push for her swift release and means she will face charges related to terrorism and national security.

Alhathloul, 31, earned a degree from the University of British Columbia and lived in Vancouver for five years before being arrested in May 2018 along with nine other prominent women's rights activists.

Anoter example of scandalous misbehavior re: human rights violations of Saudi Arabia.

Read more at: Saudi activist's trial moved to specialized terrorism court following rare court appearance | CBC News

Global Economy: G20 Summit kicks off in Saudi Arabia

In his opening speech, Saudi King Salman bin Abdelaziz focused on the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on international economies. This as many human rights groups around protested Saudi Arabia's very poor human rights record.

Read more at: G20 Summit kicks off in Saudi Arabia

US Elections: Trump's Turkish Ally Erdogan and other populists/authoritarian leaders around the world Stay Mum on Biden Victory

Erdogan, along with the leaders of Russia, Israel, Iran, Hungary, Saudi Arabia and China, offered no initial congratulations to the president-elect.

Read more at: Trump's Turkish Ally Erdogan Stays Mum on Biden Victory | Greek Reporter Europe

EU-Saudi Relations: European Parliament urges EU to snub Saudi G20 Summit

The European Parliament on Thursday voted to downgrade its attendance at the November G20 summit in Saudi Arabia over human rights concerns, and to urge for sanctions.

The bill is one of the strongest political messages the institution has ever issued on Saudi Arabia and comes on the two-year anniversary of the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

MEPs approved a wide-ranging resolution that condemns Saudi human rights abuses and urges the European Union to downgrade its representation at the upcoming G20 Leaders' Summit to avoid legitimizing human rights violations.

Belgian MEP and vice chair of the delegation for the relations with Arab Peninsula Marc Tarabella said: "We are all aware of the importance of Saudi Arabia as a partner of the European Union and for the stability of the Middle East. However, this must not be an alibi for violating human rights."

Read more at: 
European Parliament urges EU to snub Saudi G20 Summit | News | DW | 08.10.2020

EU Parliament - Saudi Arabia resolution: EPP to oppose Saudi Arabia human rights resolution

The European Parliament's biggest political group, the centre-right European People's Party (EPP), will not be supporting a resolution defending human rights in Saudi Arabia.

The resolution to be voted on Thursday (8 October) singles out the plight of Ethiopian migrant workers in the Kingdom but also highlights imprisoned women rights defenders and others.

Read more at: 
EPP to oppose Saudi Arabia human rights resolution

Saudi Arabia - Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman strikes again: A top former Saudi spy files suit, spills the beans at an awkward time for Trump - by Leela Jacinto

In September 2017, a former top Saudi intelligence officer living in exile was desperately trying to get his two children safely out of the Gulf kingdom. Picking up his iPhone, Saad Aljabri got on WhatsApp and contacted the most powerful man in his homeland, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The WhatsApp communication between Aljabri and MBS – as the Saudi crown prince is widely known – is detailed in a lawsuit filed last week in a US court.

While the allegations have not yet been verified in court, the lawsuit makes for a jaw-dropping and yet disconcertingly familiar read.

“Tell me what you want in person,” texted MBS, according to the lawsuit, which includes a screen shot of the exchange in Arabic with an English translation.

“I hope that you will consider what I have already sent you, because this issue regarding the children is very important to me,” replied Aljabri.

Two minutes later, Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler once again urged the former intelligence official in exile to return home. “I definitely need you here,” said bin Salman.

Before Aljabri could reply, the crown prince added a terse, “24 hours!”

Days after the Whatsapp exchange with MBS granting him "24 hours", Aljabri left Turkey for Canada. But two of his eight children, Omar and Sarah, were trapped in Saudi Arabia and are still being used as “human bait” to lure their father home, according to the lawsuit.

The Saudi strategy failed to entice Aljabri back. Instead it caught the attention of US lawmakers who called on President Donald Trump to act. Last month, four US senators on both sides of the aisle urged Trump to help secure the release of Omar, 21, and Sarah, 20, calling it a “moral obligation” to help the former Saudi intelligence official in exile. In a letter to the White House, Republican Senator Marco Rubio and Democratic senators, Patrick Le Kaine and Chris Van Hollen, described Aljabri as a “highly valued partner” of US intelligence and State Department agencies “who has been credited by former CIA officials for saving thousands of American lives by discovering and preventing terrorist plots”.

Read more at: 
A top former Saudi spy files suit, spills the beans at an awkward time for Trump

Saudi-Arabia: Khashoggi's sons forgive Saudi killers, sparing 5 execution

The family of slain Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi announced Friday they have forgiven his Saudi killers, giving legal reprieve to the five government agents convicted of his murder who'd been sentenced to execution.

"We, the sons of the martyr Jamal Khashoggi, announce that we forgive those who killed our father as we seek reward from God Almighty," wrote one of his sons, Salah Khashoggi, on Twitter.

Salah Khashoggi, who lives in Saudi Arabia and has received financial compensation from the royal court over the killing, explained that forgiveness was extended to the killers during the last nights of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in line with Islamic tradition to offer pardons in cases allowed by Islamic law.

Read more at:
Khashoggi's sons forgive Saudi killers, sparing 5 execution | CBC News

Middle East - Saudi Arabia: Sportswashing - Saudi Arabia's Dark "Soccer Diplomacy"

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman rolls the dice with bid for Newcastle United.

Read more at:
https://www.theglobalist.com/uk-premier-league-soccer-sport-newcastle-united-saudi-arabia-mohammed-bin-salman-soft-power/

Middle East: The Saudis’ War in Yemen Is a Crime Against Humanity

The proxy war that Saudi Arabia and Iran have been waging in Yemen for the past five years goes beyond the pale of human capacity for extreme cruelty and ruthlessness, and against the spirit and the letter of the Quran.

That war has thus far caused more than 100,000 deaths in Yemen. Out of a population of 30 million, 20 million are in desperate need of food, medicine and a steady supply of clean drinking water.

Over two million children are severely malnourished. Half of them are infected with cholera and many will perish as there is little or no chance of receiving medical treatment.

All that damage has been caused by the more than 6,000 coalition bombing raids that targeted Yemen’s civilian infrastructure.

Note EU-Digest: Saudi Arabia together with Israel are two of the major allies of the United States in the Middle East. All this is going on while the weapons industry in the US, EU and Russia are laughing all the way to the bank

Middle East: The Saudis’ War in Yemen Is a Crime Against Humanity - The Globalist

Oil Crises: Saudi, Russia outline record oil cut under U.S. pressure as demand crashes

OPEC, Russia and other allies outlined plans on Thursday to cut their oil output by more than a fifth and said they expected the United States and other producers to join in their effort to prop up prices hammered by the coronavirus crisis.

Read more at:
https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-global-oil-opec/saudi-russia-outline-record-oil-cut-under-u-s-pressure-as-demand-crashes-idUKKCN21R00R

Turkey confirms sixth (18th as of today) oronavirus case, halts flights with nine European countries

Turkey said on March 13 it was halting flights to and from nine European countries including Germany and France until April 17 as it ramped up measures to halt the spread of coronavirus and reported three more cases, bringing the total to six - this number increased to 18 as of today.

"Unfortunately, the coronavirus test of a citizen who returned from Umrah in the last week turned out to be positive," said Health Minister Fahrettin Koca on Twitter.

Umrah is the Islamic pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca that Muslims can undertake at any time of the year.

Stressing the importance of a 14-day quarantine rule, Koca warned those who came from overseas not to come in contact others.

He said passing medical screening does not mean zero risk.

Koca also reminded that Turkish citizens who visit foreign countries will have to take 14 days off from work and spend the time in self-isolation as of March 16.

Read more at: Turkey confirms sixth coronavirus case, halts flights with nine European countries - Turkey News