Saudis seek death penalty for Khashoggi killers
Prosecutors seek to further distance journalist’s death from Saudi Crown Prince
Saudi Arabia has announced it will seek the death penalty for five of its agents accused of being behind the killing of dissident Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul on 2 October.
The New York Times says the Saudi kingdom had “changed its story, again, about how the crime was committed”, in a further attempt to distance the country’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, from the crime.
The latest version of events announced by Saudi Arabia claims that Khashoggi was “drugged by the accused and then dismembered”, the Hurriyet Daily News says, citing public prosecutor Saud al Mojeb.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
According to prosecutors, eleven Saudi nationals have been indicted in the murder of Khashoggi, with a further 10 people under investigation for the crime.
None of those indicted have been publicly named, however a travel ban has been imposed on a top aide to the Crown Prince, Saud al-Qahtani, who had allegedly met with the Saudi team that was sent to bring Khashoggi to Saudi Arabia from Turkey.
Two other senior aides to the crown prince have been cleared of any involvement by the Riyadh public prosecutor.
The Washington Post says that the latest version of events from Saudi Arabia is “shocking in its audacity”, after Saudi officials appeared to have walked back an admission that the journalist had been killed in a premeditated attack.
Meanwhile, lawmakers in the US have responded with bipartisan legislation which, if passed, would “suspend weapon sales to Saudi Arabia and prohibit US refuelling of Saudi coalition aircraft for Riyadh’s campaign in Yemen against the Houthi rebels”, Al Jazeera reports.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Today's political cartoons - February 1, 2025
Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - broken eggs, contagious lies, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 humorously unhealthy cartoons about RFK Jr.
Cartoons Artists take on medical innovation, disease spreading, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Brodet (fish stew) recipe
The Week Recommends This hearty dish is best accompanied by a bowl of polenta
By The Week UK Published
-
Who is the Hat Man? 'Shadow people' and sleep paralysis
In Depth 'Sleep demons' have plagued our dreams throughout the centuries, but the explanation could be medical
By The Week Staff Published
-
Why Assad fell so fast
The Explainer The newly liberated Syria is in an incredibly precarious position, but it's too soon to succumb to defeatist gloom
By The Week UK Published
-
Romania's election rerun
The Explainer Shock result of presidential election has been annulled following allegations of Russian interference
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Russia's shadow war in Europe
Talking Point Steering clear of open conflict, Moscow is slowly ratcheting up the pressure on Nato rivals to see what it can get away with.
By The Week UK Published
-
Cutting cables: the war being waged under the sea
In the Spotlight Two undersea cables were cut in the Baltic sea, sparking concern for the global network
By The Week UK Published
-
The nuclear threat: is Vladimir Putin bluffing?
Talking Point Kremlin's newest ballistic missile has some worried for Nato nations
By The Week UK Published
-
Russia vows retaliation for Ukrainian missile strikes
Speed Read Ukraine's forces have been using U.S.-supplied, long-range ATCMS missiles to hit Russia
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
Has the Taliban banned women from speaking?
Today's Big Question 'Rambling' message about 'bizarre' restriction joins series of recent decrees that amount to silencing of Afghanistan's women
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published