The UN investigator into the killing of Saudi journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, on Wednesday called on countries to invoke universal jurisdiction for international crime and make arrests if the responsibility of individuals is proven.
Agnes Callamard, the UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial executions, asked if universal jurisdiction meant potential arrests abroad of suspects.
“If and when the responsibility of those individuals has been proven, including the responsibilities of a level that warrants arrest, absolutely,’’ Callamard said.
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She also told reporters that she had not been able to substantiate reports that U.S. authorities had intercepted communications from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on an alleged plot.
She said that they should have been investigated and that Khashoggi, a U.S. resident, should have been warned.
Judicial authorities in countries that recognise universal jurisdiction for serious offences such as war crimes and torture can investigate and prosecute those crimes, no matter where they were committed. (NAN)
