Riyadh: Five Saudi officials face the death penalty over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was drugged and dismembered inside the kingdom’s Istanbul consulate, Riyadh’s public prosecutor said Thursday.
Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist and vocal dissident, died after being drugged by the five accused and then dismembered, a spokesman for the public prosecutor’s office said in the first Saudi acknowledgement of the manner of his killing.
The journalist’s body parts were then handed over to an agent outside the consulate grounds, the spokesman said.
Official Saudi statement
Riyadh, Rabi'I 07, 1440, November 15, 2018, SPA -- The Public Prosecutor issued a statement following the two previous statements issued on 19/10/2018 and 25/10/2018 in reference to the case of the murder of Saudi citizen Jamal Khashoggi, may Allah bless his soul, and based on the information provided through the joint Saudi- Turkish Joint team, and the investigations conducted by the Public Prosecutor with the suspects in custody, whose total number has reached (21) individuals; after the summoning of (3) additional suspects by the Public Prosecution. The Public Prosecutor announced that (11) suspects have been indicted, and their cases will be referred to court, while the investigation with the remaining suspects will continue in order to determine their involvement and their role in the crime. The Public Prosecutor has requested the death penalty for (5) individuals who are charged with ordering and committing the crime and for the appropriate sentences for the other indicted individuals.
In this regard, the Public Prosecutor would like to note that it has submitted formal requests to brotherly authorities in Turkey, letters no. 7841 dated 17/10/2018 and no. 9995 dated 25/10/2018 and no. 11350 dated 31/10/2018 to provide evidence and information, including any audio recordings in the possession of the Turkish authorities related to the case. The Public Prosecutor has also requested the brotherly Turkish authorities to sign a special cooperation mechanism specific to this case in order to provide them with the results of the investigation; pursuant to Saudi law, and to obtain relevant evidence and information in possession of the Turkish authorities to assist with the investigation. The Public Prosecutor is still awaiting a response to these requests.
-- SPA