Jamal Khashoggi
Ghana’s Parliament, led by Prof. Mike Oquaye, has strongly condemned the brutal murder of an international Saudi journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, who was working with Washington Post in the United States but murdered at the Saudi Consulate in Turkey on October 2, this year.
Parliament has therefore called for an impartial and thorough investigation into the barbaric murder of the Saudi journalist for the culprits to be brought to book. His body was said to have been mutilated beyond recognition before the remains were allegedly buried at the outskirts of Istanbul.
Jamal Khashoggi had been very critical of the Saudi government in most of his writings. His murder has brought shock to the international community.
The Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, who raised the issue of the murder of the international journalist on the floor of Parliament on Wednesday, said journalists must not be persecuted for their work in order to promote freedom of speech and good governance.
He said the House should join the rest of the world in calling for a criminal inquiry into the murder of Khashoggi and for the West particularly the US not to cover up the perpetrators of the heinous crime.
The Deputy Majority Leader, Sarah Adwoa Safo, who was also passionate about the murder, said fundamental human rights must be respected by every country in this age of globalization and growing democracy.
She indicated that it was important for politicians and public officials to learn how to accommodate criticisms in the discharge of their duties and that there was no justification for the killing of the international journalist, adding that “I find it intriguing for details of the death to emerge 17 days after he was murdered”.
She commended the murdered journalist for his bravery, objectivity, frankness and professionalism and urged journalists across the world not be daunted by this unfortunate incident; rather, they should continue to work for humanity without fear or favour.
Members of Parliament for Wa Central, Lawra and Ellembele – Rashid Pelpuo, Anthony Karbo and Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah respectively added their voices to condemn the dastardly act and called for justice for the family of the murdered journalist.
The Speaker, Prof Mike Oquaye, said the mood of the House showed that Ghana’s MPs are not happy at all as regards the brutal murder of the journalist because they appreciate the work of journalists.
He therefore asked that the views of members on the murder as captured in the Hansard or official report be distributed to all embassies in the country.
He also called on the United Nations, Amnesty International and international bodies of journalists to impress upon the international community to strip the Saudi Consulate in Turkey of its diplomatic immunity to enable full-scale investigations to be conducted into the matter and the perpetrators brought to book.
By Thomas Fosu Jnr