Related News
Khashoggi murderers escape death penalty
Print Edition
A SAUDI court issued final verdicts on Monday in the case of slain Washington Post columnist and Saudi critic Jamal Khashoggi after his son, who still lives in the kingdom, announced pardons that spared five of the convicted individuals from execution.
While the trial draws to its conclusion in Saudi Arabia, the case continues to cast a shadow over the international standing of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, whose associates have been sanctioned by the US and the UK for their alleged involvement in the brutal killing, which took place inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.
The Riyadh Criminal Court鈥檚 final verdicts were announced by Saudi Arabia鈥檚 state television, which aired few details about the eight Saudi nationals and did not name them. The court ordered a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for the five. Another individual received a 10-year sentence, and two others were ordered to serve seven years in prison.
A team of 15 Saudi agents had flown to Turkey to meet Khashoggi inside the consulate for his appointment on October 2, 2018 to pick up documents that would allow him to marry his Turkish fiance, who waited outside. The team included a forensic doctor, intelligence and security officers, and individuals who worked directly for the crown prince鈥檚 office, according to Agnes Callamard, who investigated the killing for the United Nations.
Turkish officials allege Khashoggi was killed and then dismembered with a bone saw inside the consulate. His body has not been found. Turkey apparently had the consulate bugged and shared audio of the killing with the CIA, among others.
Western intelligence agencies, as well as the US Congress, have said the crown prince bears ultimate responsibility for the killing and that an operation of this magnitude could not have happened without his knowledge.
The 35-year-old prince denies any knowledge of the operation and has condemned the killing. He continues to have the support of his father, King Salman, and remains popular among Saudi youth at home. He also maintains the support of President Donald Trump, who has defended US-Saudi ties in the face of the international outcry over the slaying.
Saudi Arabia鈥檚 trial of the suspects has been widely criticized by rights groups and observers, who note that no senior officials nor anyone suspected of ordering the killing has been found guilty. The independence of the Riyadh Criminal Court has also been questioned.
Callamard, the UN special rapporteur who investigated Khashoggi鈥檚 killing, said in a statement that the crown prince has remained 鈥渨ell protected against any kind of meaningful scrutiny in his country鈥 and the high-level officials who organized the killing have walked free from the start.
鈥淭hese verdicts cannot be allowed to whitewash what happened,鈥 she said, calling on US intelligence services to publicly release their assessments of the crown prince鈥檚 responsibility. 鈥淲hile formal justice in Saudi Arabia cannot be achieved, truth telling can.鈥
A small number of diplomats, including from Turkey, as well as members of Khashoggi鈥檚 family, were allowed to attend the initial trial. Independent media and the public were barred.
Yasin Aktay, a senior member of Turkey鈥檚 ruling party and a friend of Khashoggi, criticized the final court rulings, saying those who ordered the killing remain free while several questions concerning the journalist鈥檚 death remain unanswered.
He also said there were questions as to whether those convicted in the killing are imprisoned.
鈥淎ccording to what we have heard, those who were convicted are roaming freely and living in luxury,鈥 he said.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 娌狪CP璇侊細娌狪CP澶05050403鍙-1
- |
- 浜掕仈缃戞柊闂讳俊鎭湇鍔¤鍙瘉锛31120180004
- |
- 缃戠粶瑙嗗惉璁稿彲璇侊細0909346
- |
- 骞挎挱鐢佃鑺傜洰鍒朵綔璁稿彲璇侊細娌瓧绗354鍙
- |
- 澧炲肩數淇′笟鍔＄粡钀ヨ鍙瘉锛氭勃B2-20120012
Copyright 漏 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
