Prince vows justice in Khashoggi murder
RIYADH — Saudi Arabia’s crown prince denounced the “repulsive” murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and vowed justice will prevail, in his first public comments on the case, without addressing US accusations of a monumental cover-up.
Speaking at an investment conference in Riyadh, due to end on Thursday, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman pledged there would be “no rupture” in ties with Ankara, after the killing in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul triggered a diplomatic crisis.
“The incident was very painful for all Saudis, it’s a repulsive incident and no one can justify it,” he said in Arabic, during an address to the Future Investment Initiative Forum on Wednesday.
“Those responsible will be held accountable ... in the end justice will prevail.”
Three weeks since Khashoggi, a Saudi citizen living in the United States, disappeared after walking into the consulate on Oct 2 to obtain marriage documents, the crisis shows no sign of abating.
Washington, a longtime ally of Riyadh, moved late on Tuesday to revoke the visas of several Saudis. London followed suit on Wednesday as France said it was ready to back international sanctions against those responsible.
Saudi leaders have denied involvement in the murder.
‘Premeditated’ crime
On Thursday, Saudi prosecutors admitted that the killing of Khashoggi was planned, state-run media reported.
Saudi Attorney General Saud al-Mojeb said investigators concluded that Khashoggi’s killing was a premeditated crime after reviewing evidence presented by Turkish officials as part of a joint investigation, according to a statement on the state-run Saudi Press Agency.
Ankara has been holding its own probe and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the killing was planned, calling for 18 Saudis detained by Saudi authorities to be tried in Turkey.
Erdogan on Wednesday spoke with Prince Mohammed in their first telephone conversation since the killing, a Turkish presidential source and Saudi state media said.
Speaking at the investment forum, Prince Mohammed said: “Many are trying to exploit the Khashoggi affair to drive a wedge between Saudi Arabia and Turkey.”
But, he said: “They will not succeed as long as there is a king named Salman and a crown prince named Mohammed bin Salman.”
Since becoming heir apparent last year, Prince Mohammed has won plaudits for reforms, including ending a ban on women drivers.
The investment conference, nicknamed “Davos in the desert” and aimed at drumming up funds to help Riyadh diversify its oil-reliant economy, has been overshadowed by the outcry over Khashoggi’s murder and a string of global business leaders withdrew from the three-day event.
Riyadh’s changing narrative over what happened inside the consulate has met with deep skepticism abroad.
US President Donald Trump described the killing as “one of the worst in the history of cover-ups”.
Faced with calls from US lawmakers across the political spectrum for tough measures, the US State Department said it had identified 21 Saudis either whose visas would be revoked or who would be ineligible for future visas.
British Prime Minister Teresa May said Britain was “taking action against all suspects to prevent them entering the United Kingdom”.
France added that it would take “punitive measures” if Saudi Arabia was “proven” to be behind the murder.