Son defends Saudis
The son of murdered Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who has denied a financial settlement with the government, spoke out in defence of the kingdom yesterday ahead of the first anniversary of the killing.
Khashoggi -- a royal family insider turned critic -- was killed and dismembered at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2, 2018, in an operation that reportedly involved 15 agents sent from Riyadh. His body was never found.
Eleven unidentified suspects have been on trial in Riyadh, with five of them facing the death penalty.
Salah Khashoggi said he had “full confidence” in the judicial system, and hit out at opponents he said were seeking to exploit the case.
The Washington Post reported on April 1 that Khashoggi’s children, including Salah, had received multimillion-dollar homes and were being paid thousands of dollars per month by authorities.
Both the CIA and a UN special envoy have directly linked de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the murder, a charge the kingdom denies. Prince Salman said in an interview with US broadcaster CBS he had “absolutely not” ordered Khashoggi’s killing, although he bore responsibility as leader of his country.
Meanwhile, President Tayyip Erdogan insisted on Monday that Turkey will keep pushing for the truth behind the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, saying some of his killers appeared to be evading justice.
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