More than a dozen human rights and press freedom organizations are planning to congregate at D.C.’s Dirksen Senate Office Building, Room G-11, on September 26 to commemorate U.S.-based Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was murdered in Turkey almost a year ago.
“As we approach the one-year anniversary of Jamal Khashoggi’s brutal murder, please join POMED and 12 other human rights and press freedom organizations for a public event on Capitol Hill to commemorate Jamal’s life, to call for accountability, and to cast a light on the Saudi government’s repression of those who are perceived to be critical of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and his regime,” said Project on Middle East Democracy (POMED) on its website.
The event titled “Justice for Jamal: The United States and Saudi Arabia One Year After the Khashoggi Murder” will feature many high-profile figures such as U.N. Special Rapporteur Agnès Callamard, Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA), Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT), Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) and more.
The Dirksen Senate Office Building, located at 50 Constitution Ave NE, will be hosting the event between 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. on Thursday.
Along with POMED, the event is sponsored by Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain, Amnesty International, Article 19, Committee to Protect Journalists, Freedom House, The Freedom Initiative, Human Rights First, Human Rights Watch, James W. Foley Legacy Foundation, PEN America, Project on Middle East Democracy, Reporters Without Borders and Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights.
There will also be a candle light vigil in front of the Saudi embassy in D.C. on October 2, which marks the one year anniversary Khashoggi’s death.
Khashoggi was last seen when he walked into the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. The Washington Post columnist went there to pick some documents for his upcoming wedding.
It was later understood that the journalist was killed and his body was dismembered. Despite rejecting the allegations, Saudi Arabia eventually admitted that he was murdered by its agents.
An independent investigation by a U.N. rapporteur concluded that Khashoggi’s killing was ordered by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, which the Saudi government denies.