2 hours ago
photo released, Reuters
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According to a British Foreign Office source, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is not expected to attend Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral scheduled for Monday.
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The Reuters news agency quoted the source as saying this amendment came from the Saudi side.
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Human rights groups had criticized the decision to invite the crown prince to attend the funeral.
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Western intelligence accused the Saudi prince of ordering the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. Bin Salman denies this accusation.
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The Saudi crown prince has not been to Britain since Khashoggi was killed inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, according to BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner.
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Sources close to the Saudi embassy had previously confirmed that the crown prince would visit London.
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Prince Turki Al-Faisal is expected to attend the funeral, according to a foreign ministry source.
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Human rights groups said inviting Mohammed bin Salman amounted to whitewashing Saudi Arabia’s appalling human rights record.
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An invitation to China has also sparked controversy over Beijing’s treatment of the Uyghur Muslim minority in Xinjiang.
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