Five people have been sentenced to death over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi last year, announced the Saudi Press Agency today.
The five convicted men apparently took a direct part in the murder within the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, with a further three sentenced to jail time. Former royal adviser Saud al-Qahtani – a close aide of crown prince Mohammed bin Salman – was not charged.
Mohammed bin Salman’s most trusted aid, Saud al-Qahtani, has been sanctioned by the US Government from visiting the United States, with the official US investigation pointing to Al-Qahtani as the ring-leader of the assassination squad.
Jamal Khashoggi was a writer at the Washington Post who had been a vocal critic of the Saudi royal family, and in particular Mohammed bin Salman, he was last alive seen on October 2 last year entering the consulate in Istanbul. An audio recording of Khashoggi’s last moments was heard by a team of UN investigators, in which the Saudi assassins are heard struggling with Khashoggi.
This is the latest development in what the Saudi Royals are hoping can be the final chapter of the incident, which has caused significant reputational damage and temporarily hampered efforts to attract foreign tourism and investment to the Kingdom.
