20 accused of murdering Saudi critic Khashoggi

JOURNALIST Jamal Khashoggi was killed on the orders of former Saudi royal aides acting with ‘monstrous intent’, a court heard yesterday.

Hatice Cengiz, Mr Khashoggi’s fiancee, spoke at the opening of the trial in absentia of two former aides of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and 18 other Saudi nationals over the murder and dismembering of Mr Khashoggi, pictured, in the Saudi consulate in Instabul.

He was lured to his death through ‘a great betrayal and deception’, Miss Cengiz said.

The Washington Post columnist’s 2018 killing drew international condemnation and cast a cloud of suspicion over the prince.

Saudi Arabia rejected Turkish demands for the extradition of the 20 defendants.

Some of the men were put on trial in Riyadh behind closed doors but the proceedings were criticised as a whitewash.

Turkish prosecutors have charged the prince’s former advisers, Saud al-Qahtani and Ahmed al-Asiri, with ‘instigating a premeditated murder with monstrous intent’. The 18 others are accused of carrying out the killing.

‘He was called to that consulate with great betrayal and deception,’ Miss Cengiz told the court in Istanbul during the first day of evidence yesterday.

She waited for Mr Khashoggi outside the consulate when he went to obtain documents that would allow them to marry.

A team of 15 Saudi agents had flown to Turkey to meet Mr Khashoggi inside.

They included a forensic doctor, intelligence and security officers and individuals who worked for the crown prince’s office.

Turkish officials allege Mr Khashoggi was killed and dismembered with a bone saw. Turkey, a rival of Saudi Arabia, apparently had the Saudi consulate bugged and has shared audio of the killing with the CIA, among others.

Prior to his killing, Mr Khashoggi had criticised Saudi Arabia’s crown prince in columns for the Washington Post.

The trial was adjourned until November 24, local press agency DHA reported.

Turkish prosecutors have demanded the defendants be sentenced to life in prison, if convicted.