President Donald Trump commended Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for accomplishments related to human rights during an Oval Office encounter where the kingdom announced a trillion-dollar American investment commitment. The praise arrived amid sustained advocacy group appeals for Trump to address the crown prince regarding documented abuses, including mass executions, dissident torture, gender-based oppression and migrant labor exploitation.
Trump characterized the Saudi leader as highly respected and rejected intelligence assessments connecting him to journalist Jamal Khashoggi's killing, describing the murdered writer as extremely controversial. The crown prince acknowledged the incident as a significant error that caused pain while asserting improvements to prevent recurrence.
Rights organizations have cataloged additional violations, including social media prosecutions, forced disappearances and the execution risk facing individuals detained as minors under the kafala sponsorship framework governing foreign workers.
Trump characterized the Saudi leader as highly respected and rejected intelligence assessments connecting him to journalist Jamal Khashoggi's killing, describing the murdered writer as extremely controversial. The crown prince acknowledged the incident as a significant error that caused pain while asserting improvements to prevent recurrence.
Rights organizations have cataloged additional violations, including social media prosecutions, forced disappearances and the execution risk facing individuals detained as minors under the kafala sponsorship framework governing foreign workers.
