Recently, Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN) released a statement revealing that an American public relations company is suing Saudi Arabia for millions in exchange for whitewashing the reputation of the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in an attempt to erase his government’s violations of the people of the Kingdom, and the arbitrary arrests and torture campaigns against important figures of society.
The DC-based company was founded by Michael Petruzzello, the Managing Director of the international public relations firm Qorvis Communications. He is also a longtime accomplice of the Saudi Arabian government since 2000, and has been on the Saudi government’s payroll since the 9/11 attacks on the United States.
“Petruzzello has contributed to the Saudi government's abuses by ensuring continued U.S. military support for it, helping avoid accountability and scrutiny for its role in Yemen's humanitarian crisis and its murder of Jamal Khashoggi. He has misrepresented the Saudi government's human rights record in particular by promoting communications for organizations that whitewash Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses.
Petrosillo tried to ensure the continuation of US military support to the Kingdom through his role in the company, and the attempt to hold the Kingdom accountable for its repeated and escalating violations, and to ignore its suspicious role in the humanitarian crisis in Yemen due to the ongoing war without end or tangible results, as well as turning a blind eye to the murder of the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and the Saudi crown prince personally involved”, said DAWN.
The company that bin Salman bought off tried to present a completely false image about the Saudi government’s human rights violations record, by strengthening communications for organizations that work to launder human rights violations committed by the Saudi government in exchange for millions of dollars.
DAWN also revealed disagreements between the partners in Qorvis over the company's decision to represent the Saudi government, as three of the founding partners left the company on December 4, 2002 due to ethical concerns when working with the Saudi government, following the 9/11 attacks on the US.
Since 2001, Qorvis has received huge sums of money from the Saudi government, more than all the lobbyists in America, or a public relations firm working for the Saudi government, with a $124,096,489.
The Saudi government was paying Qorvis $200,000 a month, in order to pressure decision-makers within the US administration through false human rights records, relying on fabricating charges against dissidents or activists who are arrested, or depriving them of their rights in their country if they flee from the brutality of the Saudi government.
