By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, January 22, updated twice -- .With the death of Saudi King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud being eulogized by US President Barack Obama and, apparently from Davos, by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, it is striking how the issue of striking, or flogging, blogger Raif Badawi has simply disappeared.
For diplomats, perhaps it's one thing. But on the evening of January 22, Al Jazeera English ran footage of a person they identified as being with Human Rights Watch praising the King as a reforming, including on freedom of expression.
"'During King Abdullah's reign, he has inspired a greater openness in two particular areas: role of women and freedom of expression. And there is [an] outburst of criticism, social criticism and of government policy that happened in Saudi Arabia with the tolerance to some degree of the Saudi government,' Christoph Wilcke, former Middle East researcher at Human Rights Watch, told Al Jazeera."
The quote was given earlier this year, but Al Jazeera rebroadcast it on the night of the King's death. As to being "formerly" with HRW, online Wilcke is still listed with them, here:
"Christoph Wilcke is senior researcher in Human Rights Watch's Middle East and North Africa Division for Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen. He joined the organization in 2005, and has more than 15 years of experience in the Middle East. Prior to joining Human Rights Watch, Wilcke worked with the International Crisis Group, the International Peace Academy (now Institute), and Save the Children UK. A native German, Wilcke obtained a Master of Philosophy degree in Modern Middle East Studies at St. Antony's College, Oxford University, in 2001."
His Twitter account now lists him at Transparency International. To not speak ill of the dead, we're asking about this, what was said and who broadcast it.
We're happy to add the above, and link to any HRW obituary. The interview / quote was broadcast on Al Jazeera English on January 22, 2015 after being published online by Al Jazeera on January 5, 2015 ("Christoph Wilcke, former Middle East researcher at Human Rights Watch, told Al Jazeera"). Will those, and this, be corrected or amended?
Update of January 23, 5:30 am -- Human Rights Watch writes that the quote attributed to HRW about the King "is very old reflecting early days
of the King's rule and sadly not at all our current assessment. We have
an obituary out or soon out that reflects current view. Christoph has
not worked for HRW in two years, was former researcher."
Update of January 23, 7:38 am -- Human Rights Watch, noting that the Wilcke quote that Al Jazeera ran in 2015 was from 2010, has forwarded its obituary of the King. It's long (full version online here), but says in pertinent part:
"The
government continues to control the appointment of newspaper editors
and punish Saudis who criticize members of the royal family, government
policies, or senior clerics. Under King Abdullah, Saudi authorities
prosecuted human rights, civil society, and pro-reform activists for
nothing more than exercising their right to freedom of expression. After
2011, Saudi courts began imposing prison sentences of over 10 years for
speech-related crimes."
How did a video clip from 2010 re-appear in 2015, without notation of when it was from? How many other such clips
exist, and by whom? Finally, for now, we note that the IMF's Christine
Lagarde, in Davos today, is quoted that King Abdullah was strong
advocate of women "in a very discreet way." Yeah.
On January 8, Inner City Press on behalf of the Free UN Coalition for Access asked UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric about Saudi Arabia preparing to flog a blogger, video here:
Inner City Press / FUNCA: There’s a blogger in Saudi Arabia called Raif Badawi, he’s been sentenced to 10 years in prison and 1,000 lashes for his blogs. And according to Amnesty International, he’s going to be receiving 50 flogs a week for the next 20 weeks and it begins Friday. So I wanted to know… this seems pretty extreme.
Spokesman: Listen, I have… I have not seen that report. I will take look at it.
Spokesman: Listen, I have… I have not seen that report. I will take look at it.
Seven hours later, there was nothing, even as others have commented on the impending flogging of this blogger.
On January 6, Inner City Press on behalf of the Free UN Coalition for Access asked UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric about attacks by Turkey on Dutch journalist Frederike Geerdink whose home in Diyarbakir was searched amid dark self-serving of terrorism.
UN Spokesman Dujarric replied he hadn't heard of the case. Video here.
Also on January 6, FUNCA asked UN Spokesman Dujarric about Kuwait sentencing to one year and eight months in jail Saqr Al-Hashash for insulting - Tweeting against -- the Emir. The UN's response was a platitude. But FUNCA will continue.
