A court in France has opened an investigation into the case of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, who was killed in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018.
Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi was known for his criticism of the Saudi authorities. He was killed in the country’s consulate in Istanbul on October 2, 2018. The journalist’s body was never found. The US Senate and the CIA stated that the order to kill was issued by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Riyadh described the murder as a personal initiative of some security officials.
In December 2019, Saudi Arabia sentenced five people accused of Khashoggi’s murder to death. In September 2020, the death sentences were commuted to 20 years in prison each after Khashoggi’s family pardoned them.
how Reports Agence France-Presse, a judicial investigation has begun against Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, after a decision by the Court of Appeal in Paris.
On May 11, the court announced the admissibility of the lawsuit filed by Trial International and Reporters Without Borders in July 2022. Then the Crown Prince came to France.
Reuters indicates that the investigation relates to allegations of torture and enforced disappearance. Mohammed bin Salman is considered the mastermind behind Khashoggi’s murder.
The agency explained that French law allows judges to open investigations into serious crimes committed abroad. However, bringing charges usually requires the suspects to be present in France.
The French investigation is a new development in the Khashoggi murder case. In 2022, a court in Türkiye halted its trial against 26 Saudi suspects and referred the case to Saudi Arabia. Human rights organizations criticized this decision.