Saudi Arabia removes officials over Khashoggi’s death
Trump endorses Saudi explanation as regional allies express support for the kingdom’s response to death
Saudi Arabia confirmed yesterday that journalist Jamal Khashoggi died inside its Istanbul consulate, saying he was killed during a brawl.
The announcement comes nearly three weeks after the disappearance of Khashoggi, 59, and was followed by the detention of 18 suspects and the sacking of intelligence officials, including deputy intelligence chief Ahmad Al Assiri.
“Discussions that took place between him and the persons who met him at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul led to a brawl and a fist fight with the citizen, Jamal Khashoggi, which led to his death,” Saudi Arabia’s attorney general said.
Walid Al Samaani, Saudi Justice Minister, yesterday said the judiciary had “full independence” to deal with the case and “the issue will reach the judiciary after the completion of prosecution requirements”.
He said the judicial process would not be destabilised by “aggressive behaviour practised by others via reckless means of media and lack of professionalism and credibility”.
The UAE praised Saudi Arabia for its response to the death.
“The UAE welcomes the decisions and the directives by King Salman,” regarding the Khashoggi affair, Wam said.
Egypt praised what it called decisive and brave action taken by King Salman. Bahrain, Palestine and Saudi Arabia’s Council of Senior Scholars also welcomed the move.
US President Donald Trump endorsed the Saudi story, calling it an important first step and saying he found it credible.
But Germany’s Angela Merkel called for more details of the events, while UN chief Antonio Gutterres said he was “deeply troubled”.
Saudi Attorney General Sheikh Saud Al Mojeb said yesterday that the writer and critic Jamal Khashoggi died after talks at the country’s Istanbul consulate degenerated into a fight.
Eighteen days after the disappearance of Khashoggi, 59, Saudi Arabia admitted that he was killed.
The admission, after claims from the Saudi authorities that the journalist left the consulate alive, came amid Congress threats of sanctions.
Eighteen suspects have been detained in relation to the case. Deputy intelligence chief Ahmed Al Assiri and royal court media adviser Saud Al Qahtani, both part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s inner circle, were sacked.
“Discussions that took place between him and the persons who met him at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul led to a brawl and a fistfight with the citizen, Jamal Khashoggi, which led to his death,” Sheikh Saud said.
An official Saudi source said the Kingdom “expresses its deep regret at the painful developments that have taken place and stresses the commitment of the authorities in the Kingdom to bring the facts to the public”.
The kingdom’s investigation so far found that the suspected killer travelled to Istanbul to meet Khashoggi and discuss the possibility of the writer’s return to Saudi Arabia. The victim had been living in exile.
“The discussions that took place with the citizen during his presence in the consulate did not go as required and developed in a negative way,” the Saudi official said.
The saga has put the kingdom and its young crown prince under pressure to offer a feasible explanation for Khashoggi’s death. Saudi officials denied that Prince Mohammed had any involvement.
The UAE maintains its support for the Saudi handling of the investigation into the death of Khashoggi, which the state news agency Wam described as an “unfortunate and tragic incident”.
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, commended Saudi King Salman for “his great efforts to explore the truth and seek legal accountability”, which he said “reflects the transparency and justice in his decision-making on the case”.
Egypt and Yemen also expressed support for the decisions made by the Saudi king concerning Khashoggi’s death.
US President Donald Trump endorsed Saudi Arabia’s story, calling it an “important first step” and saying that he found it to be credible. Other leaders expressed doubt about the new version of events.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she did not accept Saudi Arabia’s explanation. The events surrounding Khashoggi’s death “still haven’t been cleared up and of course we demand that they be cleared up”, she told a regional convention of her Christian Democratic Union party yesterday.
US politicians, Republican and Democrat, also expressed their doubts.
UN chief Antonio Guterres yesterday said he was “deeply troubled” by the kingdom’s disclosure, adding there needed to be “full accountability for those responsible”.
Senior scholars in Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, praised the kingdom’s response.
The country’s highest religious body, the Council of Senior Scholars, yesterday said the king’s decisions on the death of Khashoggi would “achieve justice and equality in accordance with Islamic law”.
Walid Al-Sama’ani, Saudi’s Justice Minister, said on Saturday that the judiciary had “full independence” to deal with the Khashoggi case and that “the issue will take its regular course and will reach the judiciary after the completion of the prosecution requirements”, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The minister warned that the judicial process would not be destabilised by any “aggressive behaviour, practised by others via reckless means of media and lack of professionalism and credibility” and that accountability in this matter would be proven.
Saudi Arabia’s admission comes after Turkish authorities widened their investigation on Friday, searching a forest in Istanbul for the body and questioning consulate staff.