Jamal Khashoggi’s last column in the Washington Post called for freedom in the Arab World. Indeed, the price for freedom was one that he heartbreakingly had to pay for with his life. Chillingly, Khashoggi outlines examples of censorship by the Saudi government and the repercussions of speaking out against the Saudi establishment. Khashoggi documents how his close friend, Saudi writer Saleh al Shehi, is now serving an unwarranted five-year prison sentence for speaking out against Riyadh. The efforts and work that Khashoggi penned to raise awareness and call out the lack of democracy and freedom in Saudi Arabia should never be forgotten.
Khashoggi himself was asked by the Saudi government to stop tweeting critiques of the regime. Frustratingly, his column in Saudi Arabia was cancelled by the Saudi newspaper Al Hayat, which then led him to move to the US, where he could pen his op-eds more freely without restriction from authorities. His colleague at the Washington Post, Jason Rezaian, stated: “Despite his criticisms of his homeland, Jamal consistently expressed his love for it and his desire to return, always reiterating his belief that Saudi Arabia could and would do better”. No one could have imagined that he would have disappeared in such awful circumstances allegedly at the hands of the very country he wanted so much to return to.
The circumstances surrounding his disappearance send a worrying message to journalists who do express views that powerful political leaders in the Middle East do not want to hear. Like Khashoggi, I too believe in standing up for human rights and the truth, which is why seeking accountability and justice is detrimental to this case. I too have written against the Saudi government over the unjustified wars in Yemen but would never expect to become a target for expressing my views. The same would have been thought by Khashoggi, a high-profile, prominent journalist, writing in a democratic country of the US. What happened to freedom of expression and the right to democracy?
US President Donald Trump initially expressed “concern” at the news of Khashoggi’s disappearance and alleged murder. However, as more information has come to light, he has stated he is “demanding answers” from the Saudi government. Frustratingly, this “demand for answers” is long overdue. Trump should have been demanding answers at the onset of the news when he first heard about the disappearance. I hope that he would investigate the matter and take the allegations seriously to hold those accountable in the eyes of the law.
As Khashoggi was a citizen of the United States and a popular columnist, Trump should have shown anger and frustration or at least some emotion, but unsurprisingly did not seem moved by the reports. In my opinion, the US president has no real concern about reform and democracy if it means losing out on potential deals with Saudi that could come under scrutiny.
Khashoggi criticised what he felt was wrong with a regime but paid the price. That I fear will happen in the future if no one stands up and speaks out against it. Only time will tell what the outcome of the investigation will find and whether justice and accountability will be served against oppressive leaderships who censor anyone who disagrees with their policies.