Khashoggi’s Murder: UN names Saudi prince prime suspect
A United Nations official has revealed that Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi Crown Prince, was a prime suspect in the murder case of Jamal Khashoggi.
The UN official, Agnes Callamard, disclosed this in an interview on Saturday July 11, 2020, stating that despite the fact that she lacks evidence against the prince, he is a prime suspect in terms of ordering and inciting the killing of the Saudi journalist.
Agnes said, “Look, I think he is a prime suspect in terms of determining who ordered or who incited the killing. He is in the picture. Personally, I do not have the evidence pointing to him as having ordered the crime.”
She further reiterated that inferential evidence indicates that, that kind of crime cannot be successful without the participation and support from Muhammad BIN Salman.
She stated that she believed the information provided more than a year ago.
She added that Turkey’s trial is being held “in absentia” because it is obvious that Saudi Arabia will not allow the defendants to face trial in Turkey.
“Nevertheless, I think it is important. I want to note that the defendants are represented, that they have been assigned state-assigned lawyers,” she stated.
Callamard described the trial in Turkey fairer than the one conducted in Saudi Arabia.
The trial of the murder case began on the 3rd of July in a Turkey court, where 20 Saudi nationals were accused of the killing of Khashoggi in 2018.
Khashoggi’s body was never found after he was killed and dismembered by a group of Saudi operatives shortly after he entered the Saudi Consulate.