DUBAI, March 25 (INP): A senior Saudi official on Thursday denied he had threatened to harm the human rights expert who led the United Nations investigation into the murder of journalist, Jamal Khashoggi.

Alawwad in his tweet said, “It has come to my attention that Ms Agnes Callamard ... and some UN officials believe I somehow made a veiled threat against her more than a year ago,”.

“While I cannot recall the exact conversations, I never would have desired or threatened any harm upon a U.N.-appointed individual, or anyone for that matter,” he said.

He described himself as an advocate for human rights, and said: “I am disheartened that anything I have said could be interpreted as a threat.”

I am disheartened that anything I have said could be interpreted as a threat. I am an advocate for human rights and I spend my day working to ensure those values are upheld, he added.

“As a former diplomat I understand the critical importance of dialogue even with people we may strongly disagree with. I see threats against the personal integrity of any individual as against my moral code. And they are a violation of the most sacred tenets of my religion. I truly hope that this story was not concocted to distract from the important work we are doing to advance human rights in Saudi Arabia. No country is advancing faster on reforms than us right now,” he tweeted.

It is to be mentioned that Agnes Callamard, the UN, expert on summary killings, had accused that a Saudi official threatened at a Jan 2020 meeting in Geneva that she would be taken care of if she was not reined in following her investigation into the journalist’s murder.