Saudis seek death penalty in killing
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Saudi Arabia will seek the death penalty against five men suspected of killing journalist Jamal Khashoggi, its top prosecutor said Thursday, while the U.S. slapped sanctions on 17 Saudi officials in the toughest action it has taken against the kingdom since the slaying.
The Saudi moves failed to appease Turkey, which has put increasing pressure on its regional rival since Khashoggi was killed in Istanbul last month, but they could be enough for some of Saudi Arabia’s Western allies to move on and press for key demands, such as an end to the war in Yemen.
The prosecutor’s announcement sought to distance the killers and their operation from the kingdom’s leadership, primarily Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Pressed by Western journalists in Riyadh on Thursday, Saudi Arabia’s top diplomat said the crown prince had “absolutely” nothing to do with the slaying of The Washington Post columnist, who was sharply critical of the heir to the throne.
The Saudi investigation pointed the finger at some members of the crown prince’s inner circle but stopped short of accusing them of ordering the writer’s death. Those closest to the prince are instead accused of ordering Khashoggi’s forced return in an operation at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul that the Saudis allege went awry.
In a news conference, Sheikh Shalan al-Shalan, the deputy attorney general, said the killing was ordered by an individual whom he did not identify but said was responsible for negotiating Khashoggi’s return back to Saudi Arabia from Turkey. The individual was part of a 15-man team that was made up of negotiators, intelligence officers and logistics officials.
That team was formed by Saud al-Qahtani, who was one of the crown prince’s closest aides, and former deputy intelligence chief Ahmed al-Assiri, the prosecutor said. Both men were fired after the killing.
Al-Shalan said the leader of the negotiating team that confronted Khashoggi saw that he would not be able to force him to return, “so he decided to kill him in the moment.”
The Saudi investigators stopped short of accusing al-Assiri or al-Qahtani of ordering Khashoggi’s killing, bolstering previous Saudi assertions it was carried out by rogue agents who overstepped their authority.
Chief prosecutor Saud Al-Mojeb said that of the 21 people in custody, 11 have been indicted, adding that he would seek the death penalty against five.
In Washington, the Treasury Department announced economic sanctions on 17 Saudi officials whom it said were responsible for or complicit in the killing. Among those were al-Qahtani and Mohammed al-Otaibi, the diplomat in charge of the consulate. Also named was Maher Mutreb, who was part of the crown prince’s entourage on trips abroad.
The sanctions freeze any assets the 17 may have in the U.S. and prohibit any Americans from doing business with them.