Two years on, Turkey urges Riyadh to hand over ‘henchmen’ in Khashoggi case

Two years from the grisly assassination of Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the kingdom’s Istanbul consulate, Turkey renews the call for the Riyadh regime to hand its “henchmen” involved in the crime over to Ankara for an internationally-observed investigation aimed at bringing the mysterious case to light.

Marking the second anniversary of Khoshoggi’s death, Turkey’s Communications Director Fahrettin Altun recalled the circumstances around the journalist’s murder and brutal slaying by a Saudi hit team at Riyadh’s mission in Istanbul on October 2, 2018.

Khashoggi walked into an ambush at Saudi Arabia’s consulate in Istanbul, said Altun, adding, “Unbeknownst to him, someone in Riyadh had dispatched a death squad, including a forensic expert and a body double — with a bone saw.”

The then-59-year-old Washington Post columnist — an outspoken critic of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman — had entered the consulate to obtain documents for a marriage license when he was killed.

The details of his murder emerged over a period of several months, but his body was never recovered. Riyadh claims the murder was a “rogue” operation, but the United Nations, the CIA and other intelligence services have directly linked bin Salman to the killing.

‘We all know the killers’

“We all know Jamal’s killers. Let’s make them pay: Send the Saudi henchmen to Turkey. Let them appear in a public court with international observers. Cooperate with the criminal investigation in Turkey,” Altun further said in the statement.

Turkish prosecutors prepare second indictment over Khashoggi killing

Turkish prosecutors prepare a second indictment over the 2018 killing of Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

The Turkish official criticized the Saudi regime for “ex-filtrating” and “harboring” the criminals and staging, subsequently, a sham trial for those Riyadh attempted to portray as the real culprits.

“Jamal’s killers have since been ex-filtrated. Harbored. Brought to a show trial. Allowed to walk free. Turkish prosecutors, police officers and communication experts continue to work, day and night, to bring Mr. Khashoggi’s killers to justice. We serve the cause of justice and truth,” Altun said.

Last month, a Saudi court overturned five death penalties and handed lengthy prison terms to eight unnamed defendants over the killing, in a “final ruling” that was rejected as a “parody of justice” by Agnes Callamard, UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions.

Callamard: It’s imperative to pressure Riyadh

On Khashoggi’s murder anniversary, Callamard said that it was clear from the start that it would be very hard to get justice for the journalist as the Saudi justice system was prone to political manipulation.

“I think we need to ensure we do not get ourselves held hostage by the inadequacies of the Saudi justice system,” she told Al Jazeera. “It is incumbent upon other actors outside Saudi Arabia to put pressure and do all they can to make sure the accountabilities are delivered.”

In her 2019 investigative report on the case, Callamard had said she found “credible evidence” that the Saudi crown prince and other high-ranking Saudi officials were liable.

Khashoggi 'victim of brutal killing by Saudi officials': UN probe

A UN-led probe into Jamal Khashoggi

With all the fingers of blame pointed at him, bin Salman has been working hard to distance himself from the murder.

The prince’s attempts to escape the opprobrium got a special boost from US President Donald Trump when the latter brushed aside all the intelligence on bin Salman’s complicity and turned a deaf eye to calls by US Congressmen to hold the Saudi regime to account not only for Khashoggi’s murder but also for the disastrous repercussions of the Saudi-led war on Yemen as well as his campaign of suppression against dissidents at home.

US lawmakers vow to push for justice

On the eve of the murder’s anniversary, a group of American lawmakers called for justice for the slain journalist and blasted Trump for shielding Saudi rulers from accountability. They vowed to press for accountability and human rights in Saudi Arabia

Democratic Senator Tim Caine denounced Trump for his close ties to the Saudi leadership and said, “President Trump has not only dismissed evidence of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s responsibility for the assassination; he has cozied up even closer to the immoral regime, selling it weapons for its disastrous war in Yemen and putting our country’s nuclear know-how in its hands.”

In turn, Congressman Ro Khanna said it is “appalling” that the G20 summit, which will host the leaders of powerful countries across the world, is taking place in Saudi Arabia next month.

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Meanwhile, Congressman Jim McGovern, who co-chairs the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, also slammed the hosting of the G20 summit in the kingdom while “true accountability” for the Khashoggi murder remains out of reach.

“It is time to say ‘enough, no more business as usual with the Saudi government.’ And that means no G20 summit until they tell the truth about Jamal’s murder; free the human rights and women’s rights advocates they’ve thrown in prison; allow independent media and journalists to report freely; respect freedom of religion, belief and conscience; and end the war in Yemen,” McGovern said.

Bin Salman — Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler — has been hoping to use the G-20 presidency as a way to repair his image on the world stage, which was badly tarnished by the murder.

‘World leaders must shun G20 summit’

In an article published by The Washington Post on Thursday, Hatice Cengiz, Khashoggi’s fiancée, called on world leaders not to participate in this year’s G20 summit.

“The most logical thing for world leaders to do today — the best punishment for the Saudi crown prince right now, even if it comes too late — is not to attend this virtual summit,” said Cengiz in her piece, titled “We have been deprived of Jamal Khashoggi’s voice. But his silence says it all.”

“This would be a way to avoid giving any additional legitimacy to the current Saudi administration that bears the responsibility for this murder and is still managing to escape its consequences,” she added.

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