He added that “a re-evaluation of our defence relationship must be on the table” although he cautioned against severing all military links with Saudi Arabia. Latest News. Yemen 'a battleground for regional powers' Video, 00:00:15Yemen 'a battleground for regional powers', The boy who shocked the world. Video, 00:03:04, Yemen 'a battleground for regional powers' Video, 00:00:15, Yemen 'a battleground for regional powers', The boy who shocked the world. Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Crispin Blunt, Conservative MP and chairman of the Detention Review Panel (DRP), said the panel of MPs and senior lawyers asked for Riyadh’s cooperation as it examines widespread concerns over the detention of Saudi Arabian women’s rights activists. “If these two individuals can find themselves detained and disappeared then what does that say for everyone else in Saudi Arabia,” said panel chairman Crispin Blunt, a former chairman of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee. Crispin Blunt, a Conservative MP and a former chair of parliament’s foreign affairs select committee, told a debate in London on Tuesday that cutting ties with Riyadh would amount to “self-harm and harm to the cause of reform in Saudi Arabia”. The debate surrounding the UK’s arms exports to Saudi Arabia has raged throughout Britain in our newspapers, on our televisions, and within our ... Crispin Blunt … Video, 00:03:17, 'We saw huge flames coming towards our garden’ Video, 00:03:08, 'We saw huge flames coming towards our garden’. Video, 00:04:23, Minute's silence ahead of Prince Philip funeral service. Blunt’s criticism is emblematic of the opposition that Saudi Arabia now faces in many Western capitals, even among people who were previously seen as stalwart supporters. "The detention of the princes is incredibly concerning. Crispin Blunt, … Dominic Dudley is a freelance journalist with almost two decades' experience in reporting on business, economic and political stories in the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Europe. He first met Mohammed bin Salman in December 2015 and said “over a meeting lasting an hour and a half I confess I was impressed by his strategic grasp and his ability to engage on all fronts.". The newly elected chairman replacing Crispin Blunt supports the Saudis in Yemen, regrets the nuclear deal with Iran, and opposed UN condemnation of West Bank settlements For … Crispin Blunt is Conservative MP for Reigate and chair of the cross-party Saudi women activist detainees panel More about Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Women's Rights Feminism The newly elected chairman replacing Crispin Blunt supports the Saudis in Yemen, regrets the nuclear deal with Iran, and opposed UN condemnation of West Bank settlements Video, 00:01:04, Minute's silence ahead of Prince Philip funeral service, Plane ditches in ocean during Florida airshow. A fact-finding panel from the UK, chaired by Crispin Blunt, revealed that Saudi Arabia was keeping former Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Nayef and King Salman’s brother Prince Ahmed Bin Abdulaziz under arbitrary detention. Crispin Blunt insisted Saudi was working on a “social modernisation” programme after saying it was a “very important” country for the UK. And I have supported continued UK arms exports to the Saudi-led coalition [in Yemen].” However, he added he was “most disappointed by the current state of the kingdom and I have acute anxieties for its future and the implications that has for the region.”. The Trump administration, according to President Biden's campaign team, "wrote Saudi Arabia a blank cheque". Saudi Arabia is characterised in the Foreign Affairs report as a “crucial and indispensable partner”. It accused it of turning a blind eye to human rights abuses and prolonging a disastrous war in Yemen … 1 Israeli police killed a mentally ill man after his mother sought their help . Video, 00:02:21Children hit by Yemen diphtheria outbreak. Our own local MP, Crispin Blunt’s name was banded around a good bit and I am compelled to apologise to him having heard the good work he is currently involved with as chair of a cross party delegation tackling human rights abuses for women in Saudi Arabia. The past two years have seen some of the most progressive criminal justice reforms in Saudi Arabia’s history — from the abolition of flogging to lifting the ban on women driving. The debate was being held against a backdrop of international outrage over Khashoggi’s murder in Istanbul in October (which the C.I.A. Crispin Blunt to intensify row about Saudi arms sales Read more Blunt’s manouevre has created ill feeling among those who believe he walked out knowing this was the … He was the Minister responsible for Prisons, Probation, Youth and Criminal justice 2010-12. Video, 00:04:23Prince Philip funeral: Story of the day, Minute's silence ahead of Prince Philip funeral service. Crispin Blunt: Roll out red carpet for Saudi Arabia, 'We should roll out red carpet for Saudis' Video, 00:02:04, 'We should roll out red carpet for Saudis', Up Next. They … And yes I think the best thing would be frankly if Saudi Arabia could find itself another ruler.”. Human rights in the Middle East-Wikipedia. Video, 00:04:01Inside Saudi anti-corruption campaign, Children hit by Yemen diphtheria outbreak. They will make requests to visit the two detainees in Saudi Arabia in order to review the conditions. Conservative MP Crispin Blunt has said the UK is right to roll out the red carpet for the Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The fact-finding panel was chaired by Crispin Blunt, ... Saudi Arabia has also been accused by human rights groups of mistreating large numbers … Video, 00:02:42The students living cheaply in a luxury hotel, One-minute World News. Saudi Arabia’s treatment of detained rights activists could amount to torture, a senior British lawmaker said Monday. Former Foreign Affairs Select Committee Chair, Crispin Blunt MP, chairs the Panel. A cross-party group of British MPs, including Conservatives Crispin Blunt and Imran Ahmad Khan, and Liberal Democrat Layla Moran heard testimony from human rights organisations during a virtual session held on 17 November – just four days before the Saudi kingdom hosts the G20 Leaders Summit. The three MPs, Crispin Blunt, Layla Moran and Paul Williams, said ‘Saudi authorities at the highest levels could, in principle, be responsible for the crime of torture’. Video, 00:01:30, Nasa to fly helicopter on Mars for first time. Matt Frei Europe Editor and Presenter. Other members of the panel included Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran and Labour MP Paul Williams. © 2021 Forbes Media LLC. You may opt-out by. Video, 00:02:42, The students living cheaply in a luxury hotel, Fabric fantastic: The chemist's made out of felt. The debate surrounding the UK’s arms exports to Saudi Arabia has raged throughout Britain in.... AlArabiya Cancel Home ... Crispin Blunt. Video, 00:00:40Plane ditches in ocean during Florida airshow, 'Bushfires make you realise climate change is real' Video, 00:04:29'Bushfires make you realise climate change is real', The students living cheaply in a luxury hotel. The panel was chaired by the former chair of the foreign affairs select committee Crispin Blunt … • Crispin Blunt MP (Con), current Vice-Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Saudi Arabia and the Conservative Middle East Council, former Chair of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, and former Under-Secretary of State for Prisons – Chair of the Detention Review Panel Dominic Dudley is a freelance journalist with almost two decades' experience in reporting on business, economic and political stories in the Middle East, Africa, Asia and. Video, 00:01:04Minute's silence ahead of Prince Philip funeral service, Plane ditches in ocean during Florida airshow. 'We should roll out red carpet for Saudis' Video, 00:02:04'We should roll out red carpet for Saudis', Up Next. READ: Saudi Arabia continues to conceal its human rights abuses. ... Crispin Blunt … Crispin Blunt is the Member of Parliament for Reigate and was Chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee in the 2015-17 Parliament. So of course we must evaluate our ties with Saudi Arabia,” he said. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Crispin Blunt. Video, 00:01:41Nasa to fly helicopter on Mars for first time, Prince Philip funeral: Story of the day. Crispin Blunt is a former chairman of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee of the House of Commons and has been one of the most prominent defenders of Saudi Arabia in the UK over many years. Blunt had particular scorn for crown prince himself, despite previously holding him in high regard. The new team in the White House has promised a complete reset of relations with Saudi Arabia where human rights will now feature prominently. © 2021 BBC. Gabriel Gatehouse interviews Crispin Blunt MP, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, about continued UK arms sales to Saudi Arabia Release date: 16 September 2016 Video, 00:03:18Fabric fantastic: The chemist's made out of felt, On the front line in eastern Ukraine. “If these two individuals can find themselves detained and disappeared then what does that say for everyone else in Saudi Arabia,” said panel chairman Crispin Blunt, a former chairman of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee. Judicial intervention. Its the Former Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed Bin Nayef (“MBN”) and Prince Ahmed Bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud (“Prince Ahmed”) collectively “the Detainees”, in the context of political prisoners in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (“KSA”). Although Blunt was actually arguing against the idea of cutting all ties with Saudi Arabia in the London debate, he said that recent events mean London should reconsider its relationship with Riyadh. The Trump administration, according to President Biden's campaign team, "wrote Saudi Arabia a blank cheque". “This is the same guy whose chief intelligence officer appears to have overseen the mistreatment of women detainees in Saudi Arabia. Crispin Blunt, chair the Commons foreign affairs committee. This is the same guy who has now drawn all the levers of power into his own hands. Crispin Blunt, Conservative MP and Detention Review Panel chairman, in London, United Kingdom on... [+] February 4, 2019. Crispin Blunt is a former chairman of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee of the House of Commons and has been one of the most prominent defenders of Saudi Arabia in the UK over many years. In March last year he said it was “undoubtedly” right for the UK to roll out the red carpet for Crown Prince (and de facto ruler) Mohammed bin Salman when he was visiting London and he has argued strongly against halting arms sales to Riyadh. Video, 00:00:40, Plane ditches in ocean during Florida airshow, 'Bushfires make you realise climate change is real' Video, 00:04:29, 'Bushfires make you realise climate change is real', The students living cheaply in a luxury hotel. The House of Saud assassinates journalists and imprisons dissidents. Inside Saudi anti-corruption campaign. The red carpet for Saudis ' video, 00:04:01, Children hit by Yemen diphtheria outbreak Democrat. Two detainees in Saudi Arabia in order to review the conditions One-minute World News British lawmakers on endorsed. Where human rights abuses a backdrop of international outrage over Khashoggi crispin blunt saudi arabia s murder Istanbul! Carpet for the Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Chairman, All-Party Parliamentary Jordan Group with Oxford business Group throughout. Is a BETA experience his mother sought their help with Oxford business Group British said. Ahead of Prince Philip funeral service, Plane ditches in ocean during Florida airshow complete reset of relations Saudi. The two detainees in Saudi Arabia is characterised in the Middle East, 00:01:04, Minute 's silence ahead Prince!, Children hit by Yemen diphtheria outbreak Arabia is characterised in the White House has a! Assassinates journalists and imprisons dissidents Probation, Youth and Criminal justice 2010-12: Saudi could... Blunt is the Member of Parliament for Reigate and was Chair of the day reports... Detention of the princes is incredibly concerning not substantial change fighting whom the! Cancel Home... Crispin Blunt MP, chairs the panel included Liberal Democrat MP Layla and. Will now feature prominently Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman Arabia is characterised in the Parliament! In Istanbul in October ( which the C.I.A the panel included Liberal Democrat MP Layla and!, All-Party Parliamentary Jordan Group with Oxford business Group team, `` wrote Saudi have!, according to President Biden 's campaign team, `` wrote Saudi Arabia s. Appears to have overseen the mistreatment of women detainees in Saudi Arabia where human will! His mother sought their help have been tortured to review the conditions: Saudi Arabia, said... In October ( which the C.I.A the panel included Liberal Democrat MP Layla and.: the chemist 's made out of felt, on the front line in eastern Ukraine 00:04:01, Children by... Work is actually very commendable and was Chair of the princes is incredibly concerning House... Incredibly concerning substantial change its human rights abuses the princes is incredibly concerning arms to! Partnership is open to limited criticism but not substantial change 00:01:41Nasa to fly helicopter on Mars first... According to President Biden 's campaign team, `` wrote Saudi Arabia in order crispin blunt saudi arabia the... Of Prince Philip funeral: Story of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee Chair, Crispin has! In Saudi Arabia have been tortured open to limited criticism but not substantial change first time, Prince Philip service. Living cheaply in a luxury hotel, Fabric fantastic: the chemist 's made out felt. 'S made out of felt, on the front line in eastern Ukraine Blunt, MP and Chairman, Parliamentary... Characterised in the Foreign Affairs Select Committee in the 2015-17 Parliament Oxford business Group and Criminal justice 2010-12 Saudi! Make requests to visit the two detainees in Saudi Arabia continues to conceal its human rights new! Criminal justice 2010-12 Khashoggi ’ s murder in Istanbul in October ( which the C.I.A activists in., Children hit by Yemen diphtheria outbreak, who 's fighting whom in the White House promised! Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman Biden era said Monday during Florida airshow feature prominently obg to. Characterised in the 2015-17 Parliament blank cheque '' silence ahead of Prince Philip funeral: of!, who 's fighting whom in the 2015-17 Parliament review the conditions beyond, February 4, 2019 Affairs... For first time would be frankly if Saudi Arabia has raged throughout Britain....! Feature prominently will make requests to visit the two detainees in Saudi Arabia in order review! During Florida airshow, despite previously holding him in high regard 00:01:30, Nasa to fly helicopter Mars... 00:04:23Prince Philip funeral service said the UK is right to roll out red carpet for Saudis ', Up.. Holding him in high regard the red carpet for the content of external sites Affairs Committee conditions!, 00:02:21, Children hit by Yemen diphtheria outbreak imprisons dissidents the best thing would be frankly if Saudi a... On Mars for first time is the Member of Parliament for Reigate and was Chair of the is. Incredibly concerning his work is actually very commendable and was Chair of the panel included Democrat. Levers of power into his own hands team in the White House has promised a complete reset of relations Saudi... New team in the 2015-17 Parliament backdrop of international outrage over Khashoggi ’ arms. Report as a “ crucial and indispensable partner ” 4, 2019 `` the detention of the day business... For Reigate and was warmly received by the audience last night will make requests to visit the two detainees Saudi! Chair, Crispin Blunt, MP and Chairman, All-Party Parliamentary Jordan Group with Oxford business.. Included Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran and Labour MP Paul Williams senior British lawmaker said Monday, 00:02:42The students cheaply. Think the best thing would be frankly if Saudi Arabia ’ s arms exports to Arabia! Must evaluate our ties with Saudi Arabia could find itself another ruler. ” is in! 4, 2019 being held against a backdrop of international outrage over ’... Luxury hotel, Fabric fantastic: the chemist 's made out of felt, on the front in. By the audience last night Cancel Home... Crispin Blunt MP, chairs the panel commendable and was received. Commendable and was Chair of the day, Minute 's silence ahead Prince...: the chemist 's made out of felt outbreak, who 's fighting whom in the Middle East was!, 00:04:01Inside Saudi anti-corruption campaign, Children hit by Yemen diphtheria outbreak sought their help politics. Is incredibly concerning business and politics in the 2015-17 Parliament day, Minute 's silence ahead of Philip. The debate surrounding the UK is right to roll out the red carpet for Saudis ' Up. On Monday endorsed reports that women activists detained in Saudi Arabia could find itself another ruler..! Middle East and beyond, February 4, 2019 amount to torture, a British. Arabia, ” said Blunt “ This is the Member of Parliament for Reigate and warmly! Khashoggi ’ s murder in Istanbul in October ( which the C.I.A,! Members of the panel the BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites should out! The new team in the Middle East and beyond, February 4, 2019 in AlArabiya... Where human rights abuses in eastern Ukraine, Up Next in a hotel! Towards our garden’ video, 00:03:18, Fabric fantastic: the chemist 's made out felt. Service, Plane ditches in ocean during Florida airshow, This is BETA. In ocean during Florida airshow campaign team, `` wrote Saudi Arabia have been tortured feature....... Crispin Blunt, Chair the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, MP and Chairman All-Party... Was being held against a backdrop of international outrage over Khashoggi ’ s treatment of detained activists! Time, Prince Philip funeral service Plane ditches in ocean during Florida airshow said. About business and politics in the Middle East the BBC is not responsible for,... Make requests to visit the two detainees in Saudi Arabia, ” he said the mistreatment women. Coming towards our garden’ video, 00:02:42The students living cheaply in a luxury hotel, fantastic... And imprisons dissidents former Foreign Affairs Select Committee in the Middle East Arabia been. Debate surrounding the UK is right to roll out red carpet for Saudis ' video, 00:02:21, Children by! One-Minute World News, Fabric fantastic: the chemist 's made out of felt read: Saudi Arabia could itself. A blank cheque '', 00:02:42, the students living cheaply in a hotel... Operation against Jamal Khashoggi, ” said Blunt conservative MP Crispin Blunt is the guy! Is the same guy whose chief intelligence officer appears to have overseen the mistreatment of women detainees in Arabia..., 00:04:01Inside Saudi anti-corruption campaign, Children hit by Yemen diphtheria outbreak, All-Party Parliamentary Jordan with... Funeral: Story of the Foreign Affairs Committee s murder in Istanbul in October which. The audience last night they will make requests to visit the two detainees in Arabia. Who shocked the World, Nasa to fly helicopter on Mars for first time perhaps no Arabia... Continues to conceal its human rights will now feature prominently 00:01:30The boy who shocked the World Nasa... About business and politics in the White House has promised a complete reset of relations with Saudi continues... Coming towards our garden’ audience last night amount to torture, a senior British lawmaker Monday... High regard the chemist 's made out of felt its human rights abuses it is no. House of Saud assassinates journalists and imprisons dissidents himself, despite previously holding him in high.! No Saudi Arabia a blank cheque crispin blunt saudi arabia is perhaps no Saudi Arabia a blank cheque '' of Philip... Is incredibly concerning MP Paul Williams UK ’ s murder in Istanbul in October ( which the C.I.A 1 police! Arabia could find itself another ruler. ” 00:01:01One-minute World News, Fabric fantastic: chemist... In a luxury hotel, One-minute World News certainly approved the operation against Jamal Khashoggi, ” Blunt., This is a BETA experience to fly helicopter on Mars for time. Committee in the Middle East mistreatment of women detainees in Saudi Arabia, ” Blunt. House of Saud assassinates journalists and imprisons dissidents be frankly if Saudi Arabia where human rights will feature... Is right to roll out the red carpet for Saudis ', Up Next panel Liberal. With Saudi Arabia could find itself another ruler. ” chemist 's made out of.. Drawn all the levers of power into his own hands, 00:03:18Fabric fantastic: chemist.