What does justice for Jamal Khashoggi look like? - An Activist's view

[speak easy]

What does justice for Jamal Khashoggi look like? Unleashing free expression in Saudi Arabia.


Iyad el-Baghdadi is an Arab writer and activist. He is the founder of the Kawaakibi Foundation, an Oslo-based organization.

...

Focusing on punishing dictators without assisting the societies they suppress risks repeating past U.S. mistakes in the Middle East. If you stop weapon sales to MBS, he can still obtain weapons from countries such as China and Russia; if you take away his ability to conduct operations in Yemen, he can still inflame a long-standing civil war using his significant disinformation capabilities. If you sanction him, it will be a blow to his power and prestige, but it will not remove him from power.

The best situation would be to facilitate the rise of internal checks on MBS. Ultimately, if the United States wants a future free from foreign interventions and forever wars in the Middle East, this starts with going from a paradigm of managing bad actors to one of encouraging the rise of strong societies that can move the region forward.

The United States must begin using its tremendous leverage with Saudi Arabia to secure the release of prisoners of conscience and the lifting of travel bans. It should then monitor closely if MBS arrests any newly released prisoners, especially if they dare take to Twitter (or Clubhouse, which is rapidly gaining ground) to express themselves freely.

Jamal gave his life for our right to free speech. For his sake, we must keep freedom of expression at the top of the agenda. A good future that honors his vision isn’t one where MBS is sanctioned but still oppressive. A good future is one where MBS is internally checked by free Saudis who are able to demand accountability from their government. To aim for anything less is to betray Jamal and his legacy.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/02/26/saudi-arabia-jamal-khashoggi-mbs-biden-freedom-of-expression/?arc404=true

[Blue Owl]

1. Jared in an electric chair

[11 Bravo]

2. With MBS on his lap.

[FakeNoose]

3. Chump is complicit at the very least

... and it's just as likely that they are all co-conspirators. Chump, Jared and MBS.

Lock them all up! And sanctions for Saudi Arabia.

[ecstatic]

4. Interesting. nt