NEW YORK – Seven human rights and press freedom groups are urging the United States, Britain and France to speak out publicly about the trial in Saudi Arabia of 11 people charged in the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi that those nations' diplomats are attending.
The groups say in letters to the three governments obtained Friday that providing information "would enable some scrutiny of the fairness of the trial," ''guard against potential scapegoating of some individuals" and "work to guarantee that the court proceedings do not cover up the alleged involvement of the Saudi leadership."
Khashoggi was slain at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul last October.
The seven groups are Amnesty International, Article 19, Committee to Protect Journalists, Human Rights First, Human Rights Watch, PEN America and Reporters Without Borders.
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