Qahtani Played ’Central Role’ In Lebanese PM’s Abduction, Interrogation - UN Report

By Staff, Middle East Eye

Top Saudi royal adviser Saud al-Qahtani, one of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's closest confidants, played a central role in the abduction and interrogation of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, a UN report revealed.

UN Special Rapporteur Agnes Callamard said she was informed that Qahtani was one of two officials who had "personally interrogated and threatened" Hariri at the Riyadh Ritz-Carlton hotel after being summoned to the capital in 2017.

“People close to the incident suggested the prime minister was a victim of 'psychological torture' and treatment that may have been 'cruel, inhuman and degrading,” the UN report said.

Callamard noted that Qahtani was involved in attempting to force Hariri to resign as Lebanon's prime minister. Hariri was also verbally humiliated and beaten, according to eight Saudi, Arab and Western diplomatic sources.

The Lebanese Premier, who has Saudi citizenship, initially resigned in a live televised statement from Saudi Arabia, where his family live. The head of Lebanon's Future Movement said he was stepping down as premier to protest "against Hezbollah and Iran's domination of the country, and added that his life was threatened."

The resignation was widely rejected in Lebanon as false and made under duress, with Lebanese President Michel Aoun calling on Hariri to return.

Following an intervention from French President Emmanuel Macron, who later acknowledged the Saudis were holding Hariri, he was released later that month.

Callamard's revelation came in a report published on Wednesday detailing the results of an inquiry into the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Both Callamard in her report and the CIA said the Saudi crown prince is almost certainly responsible for Khashoggi's assassination, though Riyadh attempted to portray Qahtani as the operation's architect and denied any involvement by bin Salman.

Still, Qahtani has not been charged with any crime and continues to work closely with the crown prince despite being dismissed from his official position, according to reports.

Callamard noted that Qahtani's firing reflected the Saudi government's acknowledgement that he was involved in Khashoggi's death.

Since Khashoggi's death and his dismissal, Qahtani has been banned from leaving Saudi Arabia. The United States sanctioned Qahtani and 16 other Saudis for their suspected involvement in Khashoggi's murder.