Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — Saudi Arabia's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir on Wednesday rejected as baseless a UN report on journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s murder.

“Nothing new...,” tweeted Jubeir. “It is not new. The (UN) report reiterates what has already been published and circulated in the media,” Jubeir said on Twitter.

“The report of the rapporteur in the Human Rights Council contains clear contradictions and unfounded allegations, casting doubt on its credibility.”

Jubeir was responding to baseless allegations leveled by Agnes Callamard, an independent human rights expert who does not speak for the United Nations.

In a series of tweets the minister said the Kingdom’s leadership directed the necessary investigations, which led to the arrest of a number of people accused in the case and ongoing investigations and trials are under way.

The ongoing trials are attended by representatives of the embassies of the five permanent members of the Security Council in addition to Turkey and Saudi human rights organizations, he added.

“We affirm that the judicial authorities in the Kingdom are the only ones competent to deal with this case and exercise their authority in complete independence. We strongly reject any attempt to prejudice the leadership of the Kingdom or remove the case from the course of justice in the Kingdom or influence it in any way.”

“We affirm that the sovereignty of the Kingdom and the jurisdiction of its judicial institutions on this issue can not be compromised,” Jubeir added.