Three dozen countries, including Canada and all 28 EU members, called on Saudi Arabia on Thursday to release 10 activists and co-operate with a UN-led investigation into the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at its Istanbul Consulate. It was the first rebuke of the kingdom at the UN Human Rights Council since it was set up in 2006 and came amid growing international concern about Saudi violations of basic freedoms such as freedom of expression. The EU and other sponsoring countries said they "condemn in the strongest possible terms" the killing of Khashoggi, noting Saudi Arabia has confirmed it took place at its Istanbul Consulate on Oct. 2. UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet called on Saudi Arabia on Wednesday to release women activists allegedly tortured in detention after authorities accused them of harming the country's interests. "These women human rights defenders are detained only because they fought for their right to exist equally as men in their country," Salma El Hosseiny of the International Service for Human Rights said in a statement on Thursday.

Source: CBC News March 07, 2019 13:30 UTC