Turkey charges 20 Saudis for Khashoggi murder

Istanbul (AFP) – Turkish prosecutors indicted 20 suspects on Wednesday, including two former senior officials of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, for the brutal murder in 2018 of Riyadh critic Jamal Khashoggi.

Prosecutors accuse deputy Saudi intelligence chief Ahmed al-Assiri and royal court media tsar Saud al-Qahtani of leading the operation against Khashoggi and of issuing orders to a Saudi team.

Khashoggi, 59, a commentator who wrote for the Washington Post, was killed after entering the Saudi consulate on October 2, 2018, to obtain documents for his marriage to Turkish fiancee Hatice Cengiz.

The Saudi insider who became critical was strangled and his body cut to pieces by a Saudi team of 15 men inside the consulate, according to Turkish officials.

His remains have never been found despite repeated calls from Turkey for the Saudis to cooperate.

Riyadh insists that he was killed in a “rogue” operation.

But the CIA, a United Nations special rapporteur, and Ankara directly linked the Saudi crown prince to the murder, a charge vehemently dismissed.

Cengiz welcomed the accusations on Wednesday, calling the prosecutor’s decision “a good step towards justice”.

She urged the US National Intelligence Director to publish a report on those responsible for the murder and called on Washington to conduct an “international investigation”.

“Failure to hold the real Jamal killers accountable gives these officials the green light to continue their oppression of their people (and) sends the wrong message to the world that the rich and powerful are above the law.”

– ‘Monstrous murder’ –

Turkey conducted its own investigation after being dissatisfied with Saudi Arabia’s explanations.

The Istanbul prosecution said in a statement that Assiri and Qahtani were charged with “incitement to deliberate and monstrous massacre, causing torment”.

The murder has worsened relations between Ankara and Riyadh, longtime rivals.

The Saudis, who like to invest and spend their holidays in Turkey, were invited to boycott the country last year.

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Turkey is one of the main supporters of Qatar, especially after the start of an economic blockade directed by Riyadh against the Gulf State in 2017, and is accused of supporting groups, in particular the Muslim Brotherhood.

Saudi Arabia views the Brotherhood as an existential threat.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has promised that Ankara will not drop the case.

“This has happened in my country, how am I not going to follow it up? Of course, I will follow up. It is our responsibility,” Erdogan told Fox News last year.

– ‘Insufficient evidence’ –

Eighteen other suspects – including intelligence chief Maher Mutreb, who frequently traveled with the crown prince on foreign tours, forensic expert Salah al-Tubaigy and Fahad al-Balawi, a member of the Saudi royal guard – were also charged with “deliberately and monstrously”. killing, causing torment. “

They risk life in prison if found guilty.

Mutreb, Tubaigy and Balawi were among the 11 people tried in Riyadh. Western officials said many defendants defended themselves by saying they were carrying out Assiri’s orders, describing him as the leader of the operation.

Five unnamed people were sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia in December, while three others were sentenced to prison terms totaling 24 years for the murder.

Qahtani was investigated, but was not charged by the Saudi authorities due to “insufficient evidence”, while Assiri was charged but ultimately acquitted on the same grounds.

The Turkish prosecutor said that a trial in absentia would be opened against the 20 suspects but did not give a date.

Prosecutors have already issued arrest warrants for suspects who are not in Turkey.