Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, left, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia are seen during a bilateral meeting at the G20 Summit, Tuesday, November 15, 2022 in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia
PRIME MINISTER Rishi Sunak has been accused of giving Saudi Arabia the opportunity to “rehabilitate itself on the world stage” after failing to challenge Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman on the state’s human rights record.
Downing Street said that the two world leaders had a “lengthy discussion” about the state’s efforts to “improve” social reforms during a one-on-one talk at the fringes of the G20 summit in Bali on Tuesday.
But this did not include raising the case of murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi, No 10 said, despite accusations that it was Prince Mohammed who personally ordered the killing at the Saudi embassy in Istanbul in 2018.
As Saudi Arabia is hailed abroad for its ‘reforms,’ the reality for women inside the kingdom grows ever more repressive. On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, MARYAM ALDOSSARI argues it is time to stop applauding the illusion – and start listening to the women the state works hardest to silence
