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| David Cameron receives the King Abdullah Decoration One from King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia in Jeddah. Cameron said: The reason we have the relationship is our own national security. |
David Cameron has been questioned repeatedly on the UK’s close relationship with Saudi Arabia by Channel 4 News.
Asked by Jon Snow whether he had interceded with the Saudis over the planned execution of the Shia activist Ali Mohammed al-Nimr, Cameron admitted he himself had not raised the issue directly but the foreign secretary and the embassy had.
He did however add: “I will look to see if there is an opportunity for me to raise it as well.”
The teenager was arrested after taking part in Arab Spring protests in 2012, and has been sentenced to death by beheading, followed by crucifixion.
In his first conference speech as Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn urged Cameron to personally intervene in the case, and the prime minister subsequently said his message to the Saudi authorities would be: “Don’t do it.”
Snow continued to press Cameron on the UK’s relationship with Saudi Arabia following the exposure of a secret deal, initiated by the UK, to ensure both states were elected to the UN human rights council.
Snow said: “This sounds a bit squalid for one of the most human rights abusing regimes on earth.”
Cameron responded that he “completely disagreed with them about their punishment routines, about the death penalty, about all those issues”. » | Nicola Slawson | Tuesday, October 6, 2015
