Saudi King Salman silent on Khashoggi murder
Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz has addressed the kingdom's Shura Council but failed to mention the case of murdered Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Speaking to the council in a televised address yesterday, the king lauded his country's judiciary and public prosecution for "carrying out their duty in the service of justice", without directly invoking the killing of Khashoggi.
Last week, Saudi prosecutors announced they would push for the death penalty for five suspects in connection to the murder of the Saudi journalist, who was killed in the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul on October 2.
In the highly anticipated speech, the king reiterated his support for the UN's efforts to end the war in Yemen and said that the Palestinian issue was a "top priority for the kingdom". He also said that Riyadh supported a political solution in Syria, ensuring the return of Syrian refugees to their homeland.
Commenting on the address, Marwan Kaballan, director of the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies, told Al Jazeera that the king appeared to indirectly mention the Khashoggi case in his speech.
"At the end of his speech, it was really indicative when he talked about the judicial system of Saudi Arabia. It seemed like an indirect reference to the murder of Jamal Khashoggi," Kaballan said.
Meanwhile, Germany has issued entry bans for 18 Saudi citizens suspected of involvement in the killing of Khashoggi, effectively banning them from the European Union's passport-free Schengen zone, reported Reuters.
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