Saudi Arabia admits missing journalist Jamal Khashoggi is dead but blames ‘fist fight’ at its Istanbul consulate
- 18 Saudis have been arrested and a top intelligence official and royal adviser have been fired, as the kingdom expressed ‘deep regret’ over slaying
- US President Donald Trump swiftly endorsed Saudi Arabia’s explanation about the death as credible
Saudi Arabia admitted on Saturday that critic Jamal Khashoggi was killed inside its Istanbul consulate, saying he died during a “brawl”, an explanation that President Donald Trump called credible but drew scepticism from top US lawmakers.
Riyadh announced the arrest of 18 Saudis in connection with their investigation and the sacking of two top aides of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has faced mounting international pressure over the journalist’s disappearance.
Khashoggi, a Washington Post contributor and critic of the Islamic petro-state’s powerful crown prince, was last seen on October 2 entering his country’s consulate in Istanbul.
In a final column for the Post, Khashoggi warned that governments in the Middle East “have been given free rein to continue silencing the media at an increasing rate”. He noted that some Middle East leaders were blocking internet access so they could tightly control what their citizens can see.
“The Arab world is facing its own version of an Iron Curtain, imposed not by external actors but through domestic forces vying for power,” Khashoggi wrote.
Born into a family of wealth and connections – he was the nephew of Saudi arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi and a cousin of Princess Diana’s boyfriend Dodi Fayed – Khashoggi was a voice of moderation in a kingdom at war with terrorism in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks in the United States.