Khashoggi's murder comes as little surprise to war-weary Yemenis

Khashoggi's murder comes as little surprise to war-weary Yemenis
Comment: For four years now Yemenis have suffered the consequences of a callous Saudi regime, writes a Yemeni journalist.
5 min read
26 Oct, 2018
Saudi Arabia appears to enjoy a complete lack of accountability for its crimes [Getty]
Earlier this month, Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered in Riyadh's consulate in Istanbul, a crime which has staggered many, and exposed the deep-rooted oppression and absence of freedom of speech in Saudi Arabia and beyond.

Jamal Khashoggi had left his country a year earlier, in a bid to avoid repercussions from its displeased an increasingly authoritarian crown prince. Sadly, he did not survive, even outside Saudi soil. While the Saudi version of events has changed every few days since the time of the crime, it appears that a hit squad sent from Saudi Arabia executed the journalist and disposed of his remains.

It is worth noting, however, that Khashoggi had previously had a good relationship with the Saudi royal family, and was not one of its most vehement critics. But his criticism of the Kingdom's young and unpredictable crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, cost him his life. 

While his inhumane murder has garnered international ire, it has further infuriated and awakened Yemenis, too, making the painful paradox of Saudi involvement in Yemen a little clearer every day. While the Kingdom claims to be fighting in Yemen to 'restore Yemeni democracy', it is busy brutally murdering one of its own, simply for words on a page.

For about four years, Yemen has been locked into a bloody war which pits its internationally recognised government against the Houthi group that rose to power late 2014 after staging a military coup. The former says it adheres to a republican federal Yemen, while the latter believes that ruling is a duty assigned to them by God.

Saudi Arabia has been pretending to support the republican ambitions in Yemen. But in this, there is a stark contradiction. How can a royal kingdom honesty claim to defend the values of a democracy or republican system? The ruler of the Saudi Kingdom inherits his power and assets, as has been the case since it was founded in 1932. Yemen, however, has been a republic since 1962.

How can a royal kingdom honesty claim to defend the values of a democracy or republican system?

Saudi Arabian citizens have never been to the ballot box to cast their vote and elect a ruler, while Yemen has had some experience with democracy over the past decades. Yemeni democracy has not been impeccable, but it has - to some extent - enabled citizens to express their opinions and have their say with regard to national issues.

In case they were in any doubt, the murder of Khashoggi at the hands of Saudi officials has confirmed to the Yemeni people the true nature of the Kingdom's leadership - preaching one thing but practicing another.

Under Mohammed bin Salman's rule, the Kingdom claims to want to help Yemen restore its legitimate republican government, but punishes anyone attempting to promote the sense of democratic freedom of expression, or basic human rights that it stands for. 

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​Only by Saudi Arabia could a crime like premeditated murder, or the mass killing of innocent Yemenis be called a mistake.

Saudi warplanes target schools, hospitals and wedding halls in Yemen, and they shamelessly call such crimes "mistakes".

Their forces have repeatedly massacred civilians in Yemen and tried to whitewash their heinous acts with feeble justifications.
Attributing the death of Khashoggi to a fistfight at the consulate is another woeful example of this patronising and morally rudderless behaviour. Make no mistake, this is a government that can, and will, acquit the criminals, as long as they act to please their royal masters.

As Yemenis, our opinion on Saudi's domestic policies is perhaps less relevant, but when it comes to the Kingdom's destructive policy in Yemen, we have every right to speak out. Today, our country is at war, and its president and government are in exile. Saudi Arabia alleges it is fighting to rescue Yemen, while innocent civilians must suffer the utter injustice of its bombing campaigns. 

Only by Saudi Arabia could a crime like premeditated murder, or the mass killing of innocent Yemenis be called a mistake

Yemen's war is certainly complex, and its problems not easily solved. But the Saudis declared their war in Yemen almost four years ago, and no end to the conflict is yet in sight. If Yemenis continue to bleed and starve, history will document it was Saudi Arabia that betrayed Yemen.

In the time since March 2015, when the legitimate president of Yemen looked to Saudi Arabia for help fighting Houthi forces, the Saudi agenda has shifted from attacking the Houthis, to destroying the country, and undermining its independence, sovereignty and unity.

Read more: Yemen needs self-rule, not another Saudi bailout

The callous attitude of Saudi Arabia in Yemen is no different to the nature of Khashoggi's murderer. Mohammed bin Salman, the chief architect of the war in Yemen, also presided over a regime that engineered the Khashoggi murder.

If disposing of an internationally renowned and innocent journalist comes easily and without accountability, it is no surprise that raining missiles and bombs from the sky on to millions of civilians in Yemen, comes even easier.


The writer is a Yemeni journalist, reporting from Yemen, whose identity we are protecting for their security.

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Opinions expressed in this article remain those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of The New Arab, al-Araby al-Jadeed, its editorial board or staff.