By Stephanie NebehayGENEVA (Reuters) - Dozens of Western countries called on Tuesday for the release of women activists detained in Saudi Arabia and for those behind the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi to be brought to justice. Germany, speaking on behalf of the European Union at the United Nations Human Rights Council, decried Saudi Arabia's "prolonged detentions of women rights defenders", including Loujain al-Hathloul. The trial drew criticism from a U.N. investigator and from human rights campaigners who said the masterminds of the murder remained free. They include al-Hathloul, Nouf Abdelaziz, Samar Badawi, Nassima Al-Sadah, Mohammed Al-Bajadi, and Miyaa Al-Zahrani, the International Service for Human Rights (ISHR) said in a statement. John Fisher of Human Rights Watch denounced Saudi Arabia's "brutal targeting of defenders and dissidents" and urged the release of the women activists and "others arbitrarily detained".

Source: Ethiopian News September 15, 2020 10:15 UTC