Khashoggi family denies statement

The family of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi yesterday said that they rejected all attempts to use its name to attack Saudi Arabia and target its reputation.

“The men and women of the Khashoggi family are all loyal to the country and utterly refuse to use or exploit the name of the family in an agenda seeking to harm Saudi Arabia,” Sultan, Jamal’s son, posted on his Twitter account.

The tweet was posted in response to a statement attributed by some media to the family which called for an “international investigation” into his “death”.

“We are sadly and anxiously following the conflicting news regarding the fate of our father after losing contact with him two weeks ago, when he disappeared after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul,” the statement wrongly attributed to the family said. “Our family is traumatised, and yearns to be together during this painful time.”

A joint Saudi-Turkish team was formed last week to probe the death of the Saudi citizen who was last seen in public on October 2.

The team on Monday evening spent around nine hours at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul searching for clues that could help understand the mystery about his disappearance.