Macron ‘will raise human rights’ with Saudi crown prince: aide

French President Emmanuel Macron will raise human rights issues and “individual cases” with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during a working dinner on Thursday, a senior aide said.

“The president will raise the issue of human rights as he does on each occasion with Mohammed bin Salman,” the aide said on condition of anonymity.

“He will talk about it in a general way, but will also take the chance to raise individual cases,” he added.

Asked about criticism of the dinner only four years after the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, he repeated France’s longstanding demand that those responsible be “brought to justice”.

But he defended the dinner as necessary, given record energy prices linked to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a developing food crisis in the Middle East, and concerns about Iran’s nuclear programme.

“If we want to confront and deal with the consequences of these crises on one hand and have an influence in the region for the benefit of all, the only way is to talk to the main actors,” the aide said.

French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne also denied claims from rights groups that the country was undermining its public commitments to defend human rights.

“It obviously does not cast doubt on our principles. It does not cast doubt on our commitment to human rights,” she told reporters during a trip to eastern France.

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