Saudi Arabia slams findings in UN report on Jamal Khashoggi murder

RIYADH: A Saudi minister on Wednesday slammed as "unfounded" a UN expert report calling for those involved in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi to be held accountable.

"It is not new. The (UN) report reiterates what has already been published and circulated in the media," Adel al-Jubeir, Saudi minister of state for foreign affairs, said on Twitter.

"The report... contains clear contradictions and unfounded allegations, casting doubt on its credibility."

The report by Agnes Callamard, the UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, said there was "credible evidence" linking Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to Khashoggi´s murder inside the kingdom´s consulate in Istanbul last October.

Callamard called on UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to initiate a formal international criminal investigation into the case.

Jubeir reiterated that the kingdom´s "competent" judicial authorities were holding trials of several people arrested over the killing.

The kingdom´s public prosecutor last November indicted 11 unnamed suspects, including five who could face the death penalty over the murder.

Diplomats from the UN Security Council´s permanent members -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- as well as Turkey and Saudi human rights organisations are allowed to attend the legal proceedings, Jubeir said.