Five sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia over Jamal Khashoggi murder

Khashoggi, a critic of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was killed at the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul last year

A UN investigator criticised the verdict as a ‘mockery’ of justice, while Turkey said the trial outcome was far from serving justice

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An activist holds a poster with a picture of journalist Jamal Khashoggi outside the Saudi Arabia consulate in Istanbul in October 2018. Photo: Reuters

Published: 5:56pm, 23 Dec 2019Updated: 2:04am, 24 Dec 2019

Saudi Arabia on Monday sentenced five people to death and three more to jail terms totalling 24 years over the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul in October last year and said the killing was not premeditated, a verdict criticised by a UN investigator as a “mockery” of justice.

A senior US official said the verdicts were “an important step” in holding those responsible for the crime accountable and encouraged Saudi Arabia to continue with a fair and transparent judicial process.

The court dismissed charges against the remaining three of the 11 people that had been on trial, finding them not guilty, Saudi Deputy Public Prosecutor and spokesman Shalaan al-Shalaan said. None of the defendants’ names was immediately released.

“The investigation showed that the killing was not premeditated … The decision was taken at the spur of the moment,” Shalaan said, a position contradicting the findings of a United Nations-led investigation.

Khashoggi was a US resident and critic of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom’s de facto ruler. He was last seen at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2, 2018, where he had gone to obtain documents for his impending wedding. His body was reportedly dismembered and removed from the building, and his remains have not been found.