FRENCH HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS CRITICISE MACRON FOR HOSTING “MURDEROUS PRINCE”

Fri 29 July 2022:

Following his Thursday hosting of the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, French President Emmanuel Macron came under fire from the opposition and human rights organizations.

Macron greeted the leader, known to all as MBS, and the two men engaged in a warm handshake, which they emphasised by using all four hands.

Macron’s meeting with the Saudi strongman coincided with increased Western efforts to court the major oil-producing nation amid the conflict in Ukraine.

Seeking to counter the rising regional influence of China, Russia, and Iran, the West is keen to reset relations with the Gulf Arab oil giant.

After Moscow cut gas supplies to Europe, France, and other European countries are looking to diversify their sources of energy.

Saying the kingdom was too important to be ignored, Macron has dismissed criticism of his efforts to engage the crown prince.

Slamming Macron for meeting Salman, Amnesty International Secretary General Agnes Callamard said on Twitter “The rehabilitation of the murderous prince will be justified in France as in the United States by arguments of realpolitik. But it’s actually bargaining that predominates, let’s face it.”

Formidable initiative / Initiative formidable. Si nos politiques laissent tomber et fluent les valeurs de notre société, alors tournons nous vers d’autres institutions – celle de justice en tout premier lieu, afin de les proteger. Rendons justice a #Jamalkhashoggi https://t.co/ayoHLUKKI0

— Agnes Callamard (@AgnesCallamard) July 28, 2022

French opposition leaders urged Macron to reconsider arms deals with Riyadh while pointing out that the prince is being investigated by the prosecutors for his role in the Saudi involvement in the Yemen war.

When prominent Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed in 2018, US intelligence agencies asserted that Salman was responsible.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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