Rights groups urge countries to boycott this month’s Saudi Arabia G20 summit

One of the main talking points in this year’s summit is female empowerment, which critics have claimed is “hypocritical” given the treatment of women activists, reports Bel Trew

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court/Handout via REUTERS) (REUTERS)

International rights groups, British lawyers and relatives of activists behind bars have urged countries to boycott this month’s G20 summit hosted by Saudi Arabia and demand the Kingdom immediately release unlawfully detained women’s right activists and dissidents.

Countries including the United Kingdom are expected to virtually attend the 21- 22 November event which King Salman will chair online because of the coronavirus.

The Kingdom took over the G20 presidency at a time of heavy global criticism of its human rights record over 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at its Istanbul consulate, detention of women’s rights activists and the Yemen war.