JEDDAH: The preliminary results of Saudi Arabia’s investigation into the
death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi are “credible” and the arrest of 18
people in connection with the death is “a good first step,” US
President Donald Trump said on Saturday.
Khashoggi died in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2 after a
meeting there “devolved into a fistfight,” the Saudi public prosecutor
said in a statement early on Saturday.
“The Kingdom expresses its deep regret at the painful developments that
have taken place and stresses the commitment of the authorities … to
bring the facts to the public, to hold all those involved accountable
and bring them to justice,” the statement said.
Eighteen Saudis have been arrested and the investigation continues, the
prosecutor said. In addition, several senior officials have been
dismissed by royal decree, including deputy intelligence chief Ahmed
Al-Asiri, and Saud Al-Qahtani, an adviser at the Royal Court.
King Salman also ordered the creation of a ministerial committee led by
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to restructure the General Intelligence
Directorate.
Asked on Saturday if he thought Saudi Arabia’s findings were credible,
Trump said: “I do. I do.” His next step would be to talk to Prince
Mohammed, he said.
“Saudi Arabia has been a great ally, but what happened is unacceptable,”
Trump said. The arrests were “a big first step. It’s only a first step,
but it’s a big first step.”
Khashoggi, a Saudi citizen who lived in the US, disappeared on Oct. 2
after visiting the consulate to complete paperwork related to his
divorce. Saudi Arabia and Turkey set up a joint team to investigate his
disappearance. A team of Saudi investigators were sent to Istanbul and
have been working on the case with Turkish detectives, who entered the
consulate on Thursday.
The preliminary results of the Saudi inquiry were welcomed throughout
the Arab and Muslim world. There were statements of support from the
UAE, Egypt, Bahrain, Yemen and Palestine, along with the Saudi Council
of Senior Scholars, the Muslim World League (MWL) and the Organization
of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
“Saudi Arabia, represented by its leadership, was and still is a state
of institutions based on justice and equity,” said the UAE Minister for
Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan. “The royal
decisions and actions taken after this investigation reaffirm these
values and established principles to ensure the application of law and
justice.”
Egypt offered its condolences to Khashoggi’s family and said it was
confident the investigation would reveal the truth. “Egypt sees that the
brave decisions and actions taken by the Saudi king over this matter
align with his majesty’s approach that respects the principles of law
and the application of effective justice,” the Foreign Ministry said.
MWL Secretary-General Mohammed bin Abdul Karim Al-Issa said Saudi Arabia
had handled the case “with transparent and fair approach derived from
its Islamic constitution on which its system of government has been
based ever since its establishment.”
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