US: MPs boycott G20 summit in Saudi Arabia

American media on Thursday reported that representatives in the US Congress called on US President Donald Trump to boycott the G20 summit scheduled to be held in Saudi Arabia in late November unless the Kingdom immediately takes measures to improve its human rights record.

The American Barron website reported that 45 members of Congress signed a petition to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in which they said that “As a world leader in democracy and a promoter of human rights, our government should demand radical changes to Saudi Arabia’s poor record in the field of human rights.

“If the Saudi government does not take immediate measures to address this record, we must withdraw from the G20 summit and pledge to make human rights reforms a condition for all future dealings with the Saudi government,” they added.

This message comes after a petition signed by 65 European deputies calling on the European Union not to participate in the Riyadh summit, which will be held by video link on November 21 and 22, or at least to reduce its representation at the summit, explaining their request that “gross violations of human rights are being committed” in the Kingdom.

“If the Saudi government does not take immediate measures to address this record, we must withdraw from the G20 summit and pledge to make human rights reforms a condition for all future dealings with the Saudi government,” they added.