WHERE IS THE BODY?
Saudi account is questioned after they finally admit journalist died in embassy
Saudi Arabia faced demands last night to hand over Jamal Khashoggi’s body.
The regime have finally admitted that the journal ist died in their embassy in Istanbul earlier this month, claiming he was killed in a fight after a meeting turned violent.
But Turkish investigators insisted they would have proof within days that Khashoggi was murdered.
Samah Hadid, Middle East director of campaigns for Amnesty International, called on the United Nations to set up an independent probe into the death.
She said: “On October 2, Khashoggi walked into the Saudi Arabian consulate in Turkey to get some paperwork and never came out.
“Wi t hout an independent investigation, we may never get the full truth about what happened.”
Speaking to reporters outside the consulate in Istanbul, Turan Kislakci, the head of the Turkish Arab Media Association and a friend of Khashoggi, called on Saudi Arabia to hand over the journalist’s body.
The Saudis had come under increased pressure to explain Khashoggi ’s disappearance after Turkish officials said he had been tortured and killed in the embassy.
For more than two weeks, the kingdom denied any involvement in the disappearance of the Washington Post columnist, who was a prominent critic of the regime.
But on Friday night, a statement was released which said 18 Saudi nationals had been arrested in connection with a “cover-up” following the “fight” – and that Khashoggi’s body was disposed of by a “local collaborator”.
Two senior Saudi officials, who are both close confidantes of Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman, have also been sacked.
US President Donald Trump, who has been stressing the importance of his country’s trade links with Saudi Arabia, said the claims were “credible”.
But observers questioned whether Western allies would be convinced.
Turkish investigators allege 15 men who arrived in Istanbul from Riyadh on private jets owned by the Saudi royal family were sent to kill Khashoggi.
Reports have emerged that at least three of the men arrested were part of the crown prince’s entourage when he made an official state visit to the UK in March.
He was given the red- carpet treatment during the three- day trip – during which he met the Queen and Theresa May – despite widespread protests over Saudi Arabia’s human rights record.
The Prime Minister was under pressure last night to suspend arms sales to Saudi Arabia.
Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt is considering the “next steps” in Britain’s response to the case, officials said.
He has previously warned there will be “consequences” for the UK’s relationship with Saudi Arabia if it was found the journalist was murdered.