Me Henri Thulliez deciphers this controversial visit

Emmanuel Macron received at the Elysée, Thursday, July 29, the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman. A visit that sparked controversy because of suspicions surrounding the possible involvement of the crown prince in the case of Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist killed in Istanbul (Turkey) on October 2, 2018. If he recognizes that there are “geopolitical reasons” at this meeting, Me Henri Thulliez, lawyer for the NGOs Dawn and Trial International, explains that in “inviting in this way, we participate in the trivialization of Mohammed Bin Salman and we try somewhat to forget the crimes he committed even though this impunity continues to cause suffering, prevents the scars from closing many victims and in particular those close to Jamal Khashoggi”he denounces, in duplex in the 23h of franceinfo.

The two NGOs filed a complaint Thursday against Mohammed Bin Salman. “We based this complaint on what is called universal jurisdiction. France is bound by the convention against torture and the convention against enforced disappearances which it has ratified or promoted abroad. These conventions say that when “a suspect of these crimes is on the national territory, the French authorities are required to investigate, open an investigation and prosecute anyone suspected of these crimes. So file a complaint like this, at the same time where Mr. Mohammed Ben Salmane is on the national territory, opens the possibility of triggering the opening of a judicial investigation for the crimes that were committed against Mr. Khashoggi”explains Me Henri Thulliez.