Saudi Arabia’s entry into the United Nations Human Rights Commission in 2013 elections was surprising, considering its human rights records. But Wikileaks documents have reported that it was UK that helped Saudi in getting a controversial entry into the UNHRC, by agreeing to a secret vote-trading deal.

Wikileaks released 61,000 documents from the Saudi foreign ministry files, which allegedly contain conversation between British diplomats and Saudi officials prior to November 2013 elections, held in New York. The same has been interpreted and translated by UN Watch , a Geneva-based human rights organisation.

UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer said that the evidence indicate Britain’s involvement in the controversial appointment of Saudi Arabia in the UNHCR elections two years ago. “UN Watch finds it troubling that the UK refuses to deny the London-Riyadh vote-trade as contemplated in the Saudi cable, nor even to reassure the public that their voting complies with the core reform of the UNHRC’s founding resolution, which provides that candidates be chosen based on their human rights record, and that members be those who uphold the highest standards of human rights,” he told the Australian newspaper.

Wikileaks obtained one of the secret cables in June, which read, “The ministry might find it an opportunity to exchange support with the United Kingdom, where the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia would support the candidacy of the United Kingdom to the membership of the council for the period 2014-2015 in exchange for the support of the United Kingdom to the candidacy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. ”

On the other hand, a spokesperson from Foreign and Commonwealth Office defended the UK and told The Independent that the British government has always promoted human rights seriously.

Saudi Arabia has been accused of violating human rights regulations. The state, however, is now planning to crucify Ali Mohammed al-Nimr, who was involved in the Arab Spring protests at the age of 17 in 2012.

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