The Saudi Arabian government now says Washington Post contributor Jamal Khashoggi died in a “fist fight” in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. The announcement comes more than two weeks after Khashoggi entered the consulate and was never seen again. President Trump described the Saudi announcement as “a good first step.
Khashoggi, a U.S. resident and leading critic of Prince Mohammed, vanished after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2. Turkish officials say they believe the Saudi journalist was murdered there and his body removed, allegations which Saudi Arabia has strongly denied.
Khashoggi was last seen entering the consulate on Oct. 2 to get paperwork on his upcoming marriage. He never left.
Saudis said Friday that Khashoggi was killed in an interrogation gone wrong. A fight broke out that led to his death. The regime said 18 people had been arrested in the incident.
But their explanation left questions.
Where is Khashoggi’s body?
When Saudi officials admitted Khashoggi had been killed it in its consulate, they made no mention of where his remains were taken after the murder.
The Saudis said Friday that those arrested in the incident attempted to cover up the killing but didn’t go into the reported details that Khashoggi had been tortured and his body was cut into several pieces.
Leave a comment