MEPs also elected the four Vice-Chairs that will form, together with Marie Arena, the Subcommittee's bureau:
Ms Irina Von Wiese (Renew Europe, UK) will be first Vice-Chair,
Ms Hannah Neumann (Greens/EFA, DE) will be second Vice-Chair,
Ms Karoline Edtstadler (EPP, AT) will be third Vice-Chair, and
Mr Raphaël Glucksmann (S&D, FR) will be fourth Vice-Chair.
Following the recent release of the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary and arbitrary killings' report, Antonio Panzeri, Chair of the Subcommittee on Human Rights, stated:
"Ms Agnes Callamard's report is an important step forward in the struggle against impunity in Saudi Arabia. As the report points out, there is ample evidence that Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi has been a victim of a deliberate and premeditated execution for which the State of Saudi Arabia is responsible.
I welcome UN Special Rapporteur Callamard's findings over the killing of Mr. Khashoggi and her strong call in favour of an international follow-up criminal investigation into the case.
Pier Antonio Panzeri (S&D, IT), Chair of the Subcommittee on Human Rights, made the following statement on the provisional release of two bloggers in Mauritania.
"I warmly welcome the provisional release of the two bloggers, Abderrahmane Weddady and Cheikh Ould Jiddou, who were arrested last March for defamation against the President. I am confident that this provisional release will lead to all charges against them being dropped, allowing them to fully enjoy their freedom.
I welcome UN Special Rapporteur Callamard's findings over the killing of Mr. Khashoggi and her strong call in favour of an international follow-up criminal investigation into the case.
Preventing the killings of other journalists and human rights defenders worldwide requires strong steps to be taken by the international community to address accountability and end impunity. This must be a joint objective, which can be attained only on the basis of a common endeavour."
Background
The Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, 59, was killed when he entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on 2 October last year. One of the Middle East's most important voices, he considered journalism within, about and for the region to be vital, the special rapporteur states.
In reaction to the latest wave of executions in Saudi Arabia, EP Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI) Chair Antonio Panzeri gave the following statement on Friday.
On Tuesday 23 April, Saudi Arabia carried out its largest mass execution since 2016. Under the justification of countering terrorism, 37 people, including a high number of Shia and at least three minors at the time of the arrest, were executed in six cities across the country. The executed were mostly convicted for offences related to spying or violent participation in anti-government protests.