Contrary to the previous claim by the Saudi government that the late Jamal Khashoggi died in a rogue extradition operation, the Turkish prosecutor’s office has disclosed that the late Saudi journalist who entered Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey on October 2, was indeed strangled to death immediately he arrived the mission building before his body was cut into pieces.
“In accordance with plans made in advance, the victim, Jamal Khashoggi, was choked to death immediately after entering the Consulate General of Saudi Arabia in Istanbul on October 2,” the chief prosecutor, Irfan Fidan, said in a statement released on Wednesday.
“The victim’s body was dismembered and destroyed following his death by suffocation.”
The chief prosecutor also confirmed that Khashoggi’s death was premeditated. He made this known yesterday after the departure of the Saudi chief prosecutor, Saud al-Mojeb, from Istanbul after a two-day visit.
But despite the fact that Saudi Arabia has admitted that the killing of the Saudi journalist was premeditated, it has not explained how.
Al-Mojeb, for instance, failed to answer the questions: “Where is Khashoggi’s body? Who was the alleged local collaborator that the Saudis say took part? What do the Saudis know about who planned the murder?”
The kingdom also has denied that the 15-man team that allegedly assassinated Khashoggi was acting with the knowledge or authorisation of the royal court.
Turkey’s statement on Wednesday undermined the insistence of Trump and his secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, that Turkey was satisfied with Saudi Arabia’s cooperation in the investigation to date, The UK Guardian has reported.
Ajibola Amzat, Managing Editor at The ICIR. He can be reached via [email protected]
and @ajibolaamzat on Twitter.