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Jamal Khashoggi: All you need to know about Saudi journalist's death Jamal Khashoggi: All you need to know about Saudi journalist's death
(7 months later)
On 2 October, Jamal Khashoggi, a well-known journalist and critic of the Saudi government, walked into the country's consulate in Istanbul, where he was murdered. On 2 October 2018, Jamal Khashoggi, a US-based journalist and critic of Saudi Arabia's government, walked into the country's consulate in Istanbul, where he was murdered.
Saudi Arabia's public prosecutor has said Khashoggi was killed inside the building on the orders of a rogue intelligence officer. In the months since, conflicting narratives have emerged over who was responsible, how he died, and what happened to his remains.
Turkish officials however say they have evidence, including gruesome audio recordings, that the journalist was killed by a team of Saudi agents on orders that came from the highest levels. His body has not yet been found. Saudi officials have said the journalist was killed in a "rogue operation" by a team of agents sent to persuade him to return to the kingdom, while Turkish officials have said the agents acted on orders from the highest levels of the Saudi government.
The steady stream of disturbing allegations, along with the complex diplomatic situation, means that it can be difficult to keep track of the full story. In the latest development, a United Nations special rapporteur concluded that Khashoggi was "the victim of a deliberate, premeditated execution, an extrajudicial killing for which the state of Saudi Arabia is responsible".
So here is what we know about the case. She also found there was "credible evidence" that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and other high-level officials were individually liable.
The Saudi government, which denies the prince was involved, rejected the report.
Who was Jamal Khashoggi?Who was Jamal Khashoggi?
As a prominent journalist, he covered major stories including the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the rise of Osama Bin Laden for various Saudi news organisations. As a prominent Saudi journalist, he covered major stories, including the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the rise of the late al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden, for various Saudi news organisations.
For decades, the 59-year-old was close to the Saudi royal family and also served as an adviser to the government.For decades, the 59-year-old was close to the Saudi royal family and also served as an adviser to the government.
But he fell out of favour and went into self-imposed exile in the US last year. From there, he wrote a monthly column in the Washington Post in which he criticised the policies of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, known as MBS. But he fell out of favour and went into self-imposed exile in the US in 2017. From there, he wrote a monthly column in The Washington Post in which he criticised the policies of Prince Mohammed, who had become the kingdom's de facto ruler.
In his first column for the newspaper, Khashoggi said he feared being arrested in an apparent crackdown on dissent overseen by the prince since he became first in line to succeed his father, King Salman. In his first column for the Post, Khashoggi said he feared being arrested in an apparent crackdown on dissent overseen by the prince.
Why was he at the consulate?Why was he at the consulate?
He first visited the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on 28 September to obtain divorce documents to allow him to remarry. Khashoggi first visited the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on 28 September to obtain a Saudi document stating that he was divorced, so that he could marry his Turkish fiancée, Hatice Cengiz.
But he was told he would have to return and arranged to come back on 2 October. But he was told he would have to return to pick up the document and arranged to come back on 2 October.
"He did not believe that something bad could happen on Turkish soil," his Turkish fiancée, Hatice Cengiz, wrote in the Post. "He did not believe that something bad could happen on Turkish soil," Ms Cengiz wrote in the Post.
He was last seen on CCTV arriving at 13:14 local time for his appointment. Ms Cengiz accompanied him to the entrance of the consulate on 2 October. He was last seen on CCTV footage entering the building at 13:14 local time.
He reportedly told friends that he had been treated "very warmly" on his first visit and reassured them that he would not face any problems. Despite reassuring friends that he would not face any problems inside, he gave Ms Cengiz two mobile phones and told her to call an adviser to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan if he did not come back out.
Despite this, he gave Ms Cengiz two mobile phones and told her to call an adviser to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan if he did not come back out.
She ultimately waited for more than 10 hours outside the consulate and returned the following morning when Khashoggi had still not reappeared.She ultimately waited for more than 10 hours outside the consulate and returned the following morning when Khashoggi had still not reappeared.
What does Saudi Arabia say?What does Saudi Arabia say?
For more than two weeks Saudi Arabia consistently denied any knowledge of Khashoggi's fate. For more than two weeks, Saudi Arabia consistently denied any knowledge of Khashoggi's fate.
Crown Prince Mohammed told Bloomberg News that the journalist had left the consulate "after a few minutes or one hour". Prince Mohammed told Bloomberg News that the journalist had left the consulate "after a few minutes or one hour".
"We have nothing to hide," he added."We have nothing to hide," he added.
In a change of tune, on 20 October, state television reported the journalist had in fact been murdered in a "rogue operation" on the orders of an intelligence officer. But in a change of tune on 20 October, the Saudi government said a preliminary investigation by prosecutors had concluded that the journalist died during a "fight" after resisting attempts to return him to Saudi Arabia. Later, a Saudi official attributed the death to a chokehold.
But Saudi officials continued to give conflicting explanations of what happened - among them, that Khashoggi had died in a chokehold after resisting attempts to return him to Saudi Arabia. There were also reports that a Saudi operative had donned his clothing and left the premises. But Saudi officials continued to give conflicting explanations of what happened - then-Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said on 21 October that the exact cause of Khashoggi's death was not known.
More than a month later, on 15 November, the Saudi public prosecutor said Khashoggi was given a lethal injection after a struggle and his body was dismembered inside the consulate after his death. But he insisted: "This was an operation where individuals ended up exceeding the authorities and responsibilities they had. They made the mistake when they killed Jamal Khashoggi in the consulate and they tried to cover up for it."
The body parts were then handed over to a local "collaborator" outside the grounds, he added. On 15 November, Saudi Arabia's deputy public prosecutor Shalaan Shalaan said the murder was ordered by the head of a "negotiations team" sent to Istanbul by the Saudi deputy intelligence chief to bring Khashoggi back to the kingdom "by means of persuasion" or, if that failed, "by force".
What action have they taken? Investigators concluded that Khashoggi was forcibly restrained after a struggle and injected with a large amount of a drug, resulting in an overdose that led to his death, Mr Shalaan said. His body was then dismembered and handed over to a local "collaborator" outside the consulate for disposal, he added.
Saudi Arabia has detained 21 Saudi nationals and dismissed two senior officials - Deputy Intelligence Chief Ahmad al-Assiri and Saud al-Qahtani, a senior aide to Prince Mohammed. Five individuals had confessed to the murder, Mr Shalaan asserted, adding: "[The crown prince] did not have any knowledge about it."
Saudi King Salman also ordered a restructuring of the intelligence services - to be headed by the crown prince - in the wake of the initial inquiry. What action have the Saudi authorities taken?
Eleven people have so far been charged over the journalist's death and the prosecutor is seeking the death penalty for five of them, although none of those officially charged have been identified. They have insisted that they are committed to and capable of bringing those responsible for Khashoggi's murder to justice.
On 26 October, Saudi officials said 18 people had been arrested and five senior government officials had been sacked as part of an investigation into the case. The officials included Deputy Intelligence Chief Ahmad Asiri and Saud al-Qahtani, a senior aide to Prince Mohammed.
On 3 January, 11 individuals were put on trial at the Criminal Court of Riyadh in connection with the killing, and the public prosecutor asked for the death penalty for five of them.
However, the trial is taking place behind closed doors and the identities of the defendants have not been released.
What does Turkey say happened?What does Turkey say happened?
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says there is evidence that the "savage" killing was planned days in advance. Turkish officials said 15 Saudi agents arrived in Istanbul in the days before the murder, and that the group removed the security cameras and surveillance footage from the consulate before Khashoggi's arrival.
He says three teams of 15 Saudi nationals arrived in Istanbul before the murder and that the group had removed the security cameras and surveillance footage from the consulate building prior to Khashoggi's arrival. Istanbul's prosecutor, Irfan Fidan, said on 31 October that the journalist was suffocated almost as soon as entered the consulate, and that his body was dismembered and destroyed.
Turkey says he was immediately strangled and his body dismembered. Turkish media also reported he had been tortured first. Mr Fidan is seeking the extradition of the 18 suspects arrested in Saudi Arabia.
Mr Erdogan says the order to kill Khashoggi came from the highest levels of the Saudi government but says it was unlikely that King Salman was behind it. Writing in the Washington Post on 2 November, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared it had been established that Khashoggi "was killed in cold blood by a death squad" and "that his murder was premeditated".
Saudi Arabia has denied the crown prince ordered the killing, and is refusing to extradite to Turkey any of the suspects. "Yet there are other, no less significant questions whose answers will contribute to our understanding of this deplorable act" he added. "Where is Khashoggi's body? Who is the 'local collaborator' to whom Saudi officials claimed to have handed over Khashoggi's remains? Who gave the order to kill this kind soul? Unfortunately, the Saudi authorities have refused to answer those questions."
Mr Erdogan said he knew the order to kill Khashoggi "came from the highest levels of the Saudi government", but that he did "not believe for a second that King Salman, the custodian of the holy mosques, ordered the hit".
What did the UN investigation find?
An investigation by UN Special Rapporteur Agnes Callamard concluded that Khashoggi's death "constituted an extrajudicial killing for which the state of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is responsible".
She also found there was "credible evidence" to warrant an investigation into Prince Mohammed and other high-level Saudi officials, and said the prince should be subject to the targeted sanctions already imposed by some UN member states against other named individuals allegedly involved in the killing.
Ms Callamard said both the investigations into Khashoggi's death by Saudi Arabia and Turkey "failed to meet international standards".
She called for the trial in Saudi Arabia of the 11 suspects to be suspended, saying it would "not deliver credible accountability".
"The trial is held behind closed doors; the identity of those charged has not been released nor is the identity of those facing death penalty. At the time of writing, at least one of those identified as responsible for the planning and organising of the execution of Mr Khashoggi has not been charged," she noted.
Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Adel al-Jubeir, rejected the report, tweeting that it was "nothing new" and contained "clear contradictions and baseless allegations which challenge its credibility".
"The Saudi judiciary is the sole party qualified to deal with the Khashoggi case and works with full independence," he added.
Is there any evidence?Is there any evidence?
In mid-November, Turkey said it had shared audio recordings of the killing with Saudi Arabia, US, UK, Germany and France. While these have not been made public, some details have been leaked by Turkish media. In mid-November, Turkey's government said it had shared audio recordings of the killing with Saudi Arabia, the US, the UK, Germany and France. While not officially made public, details of the recordings were included in Ms Callamard's report.
One pro-government media source, Yeni Safak, said the Saudi consul general could be heard on one tape warning the alleged agents: "Do this outside. You're going to get me in trouble." The UN special rapporteur noted that she was not able to obtain copies of the recordings from Turkish intelligence or authenticate them.
On 10 December, CNN reported that Khashoggi had told his killers "I can't breathe" in his final moments. But in one recording, her report says, two Saudi officials are apparently heard discussing how to cut up and transport Khashoggi's body just minutes before the journalist entered the consulate.
The news outlet, quoting an anonymous source who saw a transcript of the recording, also referenced the sounds of the critic's body "being dismembered by a saw". One is quoted as saying: "The body is heavy. First time I cut on the ground. If we take plastic bags and cut it into pieces, it will be finished." At the end of the conversation, the other asks whether "the sacrificial animal" has arrived.
He said one of the voices first heard in the recording was identified as Maher Mutreb, an intelligence official known to Khashoggi. A later conversation recorded inside the consul general's office purportedly features Khashoggi being told by officials: "We will have to take you back. There is an order from Interpol. Interpol requested you to be sent back. We are coming to get you."
Mr Mutreb reportedly told the journalist: "You are coming back." Khashoggi, referring to his fiancée outside, replied: "You can't do that. People are waiting outside." The reports quotes Mr Khashoggi as replying that "there isn't a case against me. I notified some people outside; they are waiting for me; a driver is waiting for me."
Turkey and Saudi Arabia have been conducting a joint investigation, with Turkish officials granted access to the Istanbul consulate for DNA testing more than two weeks after the incident. At 13:33 local time, he is heard saying: "There is a towel here. Are you going to give me drugs?" Someone responds: "We will anaesthetise you."
Among the areas searched for Khashoggi's remains are the Belgrad forest, near the consulate, and some farmland in Yalova - where some Saudi consulate vehicles were seen heading on the day he was killed. The report says the conversation was followed by sounds of a struggle, during which people are heard saying "Did he sleep?", "He raises his head," and "Keep pushing." Later, there are sounds of movement, heavy panting, and plastic sheets.
Turkish intelligence identified the sound of a saw at 13:39, but Ms Callamard said she and her delegation could not make out the sources of the sounds they heard.
Assessments of the recordings by intelligence officers in Turkey and other countries suggest Khashoggi could have been injected with a sedative and then suffocated using a plastic bag, according to the special rapporteur.
Turkish officials were not granted access to the Saudi consulate for DNA testing until more than two weeks after the incident.
The special rapporteur said there was credible evidence that crime scenes had been "thoroughly, even forensically, cleaned" beforehand.
Among the areas searched for Khashoggi's remains are the Belgrad forest, which a consular attaché visited on 1 October, and the coastal town of Yalova, the location of a farmhouse allegedly owned by a Saudi national.
Who are the alleged Saudi agents?Who are the alleged Saudi agents?
Turkish officials believe the men are Saudi officials and intelligence officers. None of those put on trial have been identified by Saudi prosecutors, but the report by the UN special rapporteur named them, citing information from "various governments' sources".
They say the group brought a bone saw into the country and that one of its members was a doctor who specialised in post-mortems. According to the report, the five facing the death penalty are Fahad Shabib Albalawi; Turki Muserref Alshehri; Waleed Abdullah Alshehri; Maher Abdulaziz Mutreb, an intelligence officer who the US says worked for Saud al-Qahtani; and Dr Salah Mohammed Tubaigy, a forensic doctor with the interior ministry.
Four of the men reportedly have links to the Saudi crown prince and another is a senior figure in the country's interior ministry. The other six defendants are Mansour Othman Abahussain; Mohammed Saad Alzahrani; Mustafa Mohammed Almadani; Saif Saad Alqahtani; Muflih Shaya Almuslih, reportedly a member of the consulate staff; and Ahmad Asiri, the former deputy intelligence chief.
Most of them arrived at and departed from Istanbul airport by private or commercial jet the same day as the killing. According to interviews conducted by the special rapporteur, the defendants' lawyers argued during a court hearing in January that they were "state employees and could not object to the orders of their superiors".
CCTV footage appears to show vehicles driving them to the consulate, and two hours after Khashoggi's arrival, some of them heading to the residence of the Saudi consul. Three defendants allegedly said that Mr Khashoggi "started screaming, so they covered his mouth to prevent him from making noise, which accidentally killed him", according to the report. Ms Callamard noted that she had heard no screaming in the audio recordings from the consulate.
Saudi Arabia has so far pushed back against Turkey's demands to extradite any of the suspects. Mr Asiri was cited as telling the court that he had "never ordered the use of force" to bring Khashoggi back to Saudi Arabia.
How have Saudi Arabia's western allies reacted? Nine of the defendants named by Ms Callamard were previously identified by Turkish officials as members of the 15-strong team of agents sent to Istanbul.
Khashoggi's killing, which has been internationally condemned, has caused a diplomatic crisis between Saudi Arabia and some of its closest allies, including the US. Most of the agents arrived at and departed from the city's airport by private or commercial jet the same day as Khashoggi's killing.
After the murder was confirmed by the Saudis, President Trump described it as the "worst cover-up in history". CCTV footage appears to show vehicles driving them to the consulate, and two hours after Khashoggi's arrival, some of them heading to the consul's residence.
However, as the story has unfolded, he has persistently defended America's ties to the kingdom, a key trading partner in the region. The special rapporteur said three men were filmed entering the residence with what seemed like plastic trash bags, and at least one rolling suitcase.
This response has been widely derided by senators in Congress who point the finger at MBS and want the US to take tougher action against Saudi Arabia by halting military sales. How have Saudi Arabia's Western allies reacted?
According to US media reports, the CIA - whose boss, Gina Haspell, has heard the tapes - concluded Mohammed bin Salman was behind the order - though Donald Trump has denied this. Khashoggi's killing was internationally condemned and caused a diplomatic crisis between Saudi Arabia and some of its closest allies, including the US.
The US, Canada, France and the UK have all levied sanctions against 18 Saudis allegedly linked to the killing - although this does not include the Saudi crown prince. After the murder was confirmed by the Saudis, US President Donald Trump described it as the "worst cover-up in history". However, he defended US ties to the kingdom, a key trading partner.
Elsewhere, Germany, Finland and Denmark are among European nations to have cancelled arms deals with Saudi Arabia since the killing. This response was widely derided by senators in Congress who point the finger at Prince Mohammed and want the US to take tougher action against Saudi Arabia by halting arms sales.
How did 2 October unfold? According to US media reports, the CIA - whose boss, Gina Haspell, has heard the consulate audio recordings - concluded that Prince Mohammed ordered Khashoggi's killing. Mr Trump denied that.
03:28: The first private jet carrying suspected Saudi agents arrives at Istanbul airport The US, Canada, France and the UK all levied sanctions against 18 Saudis allegedly linked to the killing. The Saudi crown prince was not among them.
05:05: The group is seen checking into two hotels near the Saudi consulate building Germany, Finland and Denmark were among the European nations to cancel arms deals with Saudi Arabia after the killing.
12:13: Several diplomatic vehicles are filmed arriving at the consulate, allegedly carrying some of the Saudi agents
13:14: Khashoggi enters the building
15:08: Vehicles leave the consulate and are filmed arriving at the nearby Saudi consul's residence
17:15: A second private jet carrying a number of suspected Saudi officials lands in Istanbul
17:33: Khashoggi's fiancée, Hatice Cengiz, is seen on CCTV waiting outside the consulate
18:20: One of the private jets departs from Istanbul airport. The other plane leaves at 21:00