How Saudi journalist ‘taped own murder on Apple watch’
Trump threatens ‘severe punishment’ as diplomatic storm grows
THE journalist believed to have been assassinated by Saudi Arabia may have recorded his final terrifying moments on his Apple Watch.
Reports claim Jamal Khashoggi, 59, recorded his own torture and murder on the device after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, where he had gone to obtain paperwork to marry his fiancee.
The gadget transmitted the audio to his iPhone which was in the hands of his fiancee, Hatice Cengiz, 36, who is said to have listened in horror as she waited outside.
If confirmed, the recording would represent the strongest evidence that Turkish authorities have to show that Mr Khashoggi was murdered inside the consulate.
The development came as President Trump last night said the US would inflict ‘severe punishment’ on Saudi Arabia if it was found to be behind Mr Khashoggi’s disappearance and murder. In an interview for CBS’s 60 Minutes, he said the Saudis had denied involvement in the disappearance of Mr Khashoggi on October 2 ‘in every way possible’, but added: ‘Could it be them? Yes. There’s a lot at stake’.
However, he stopped short of committing to sanctions, saying: ‘I don’t want to hurt jobs. There are other ways of punishing.’
Pressure has been growing on the Saudi authorities, with MPs calling for the Government to downgrade its relationship with Saudi Arabia and global business leaders, including Sir Richard Branson, beginning to boycott the oil-rich kingdom.
Turkish government officials believe the Washington Post columnist was targeted by a Saudi ‘hit squad’ and his body dismembered, smuggled out of the consulate in black bags inside a Transit van and flown out of Turkey in a private jet.
There is suspicion he may have been killed for criticising the kingdom’s Crown Prince and de facto ruler, Mohammed bin Salman. The Saudis have strenuously denied the allegations, but admit Mr Khashoggi did enter the consulate.
According to The Daily Sabah, a government-backed Turkish newspaper, Mr Khashoggi was so concerned about his safety that he set his Apple Watch to record mode before walking into the consulate.
It claimed his attackers tried to ‘erase’ the recording from his watch, not realising it had already been uploaded to his iCloud account.
Ms Cengiz had earlier called on President Trump to fully investigate her fiance’s disappearance and Washington insiders claim the reported recording provides ‘persuasive and gruesome evidence’ that he was murdered. ‘You can hear his voice and the voices of men speaking Arabic,’ a source told the Washington Post, adding: ‘You can hear how he was interrogated, tortured and then murdered.’
Tory MP Tom Tugendhat, chairman of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, told Radio 4: ‘We may be talking about downgrading diplomatic relations.’