ISTANBUL (AP) – A Turkish court on Thursday decided to suspend the trial of 26 Saudi Arabians accused of the heinous murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi and move the case to Saudi Arabia.
Kagog, a US resident who wrote critically about Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was assassinated on October 2, 2018 at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, where he was on appointment to retrieve the documents he had. . Turkish bride, Hatice Cengiz. He never left the building.
Turkish officials said Khashoggi was killed and then dismembered by a group of Saudi agents sent to the consulate in Istanbul. The group included forensic doctors, intelligence and security agents, and individuals who worked in the crown prince’s office. His remains were never found.
The court decision in Istanbul was handed down despite warnings from human rights groups that handing over the case to the kingdom would lead to a cover -up for the murder questioning the crown prince.
It also comes at a time when Turkey, which is in deep economic downturn, seeks to correct its troubled relations with Saudi Arabia and other countries in its region. Some media reported that Riyadh has led to improved relations with Turkey, ending its lawsuit against Saudi Arabia.
The move will pave the way for resolving tensions between the two regional heavyweights since the 2011 Arab Spring, including Turkey’s support for Islamist movements such as the Muslim Brotherhood, which Riyadh regards as a terrorist group. Turkey also sided with Qatar in a diplomatic dispute in which Doha boycotted Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Last week, the prosecutor recommended that he be extradited to the kingdom, arguing that the trial in Turkey would remain unsuccessful. The Turkish Minister of Justice endorsed the recommendation, adding that the trial in Turkey would continue if the Turkish court was not satisfied with the outcome of the case in the Kingdom. However, it is not clear whether Saudi Arabia will open or not, which has already tried some of the accused behind closed doors.
The court decided to suspend the trial in accordance with the “positive opinion” of the Ministry of Justice, according to private news agency DHA.
Don’t drag Khashoggi’s trial to Saudi Arabia: the decision to move the case would be a shameful accusation against the will of the Turkish authorities to hide the killings of foreign governments on their territory. https://t.co/NeJ6FsoZOg
– Emma Sinclair (@esinclairwebb) April 6, 2022
Human rights activists in Turkey have demanded that the case not be returned to Saudi Arabia.
“By providing the murder case on its territory, Turkey will deliberately return the case to those responsible,” said Agnes Kalamar, secretary general of Amnesty International. “In fact, the Saudi system has repeatedly failed to cooperate with the Turkish prosecutor, and it is clear that the Saudi court cannot do justice.
“What happened to Turkey’s declared promise that justice must prevail in this heinous murder and that this case will never be a pawn on calculations and on political interests?” churches.
New York -based Human Rights Watch said: “Given the total lack of judicial independence in Saudi Arabia, the role of the Saudi government in Khashoggi’s assassination, past attempts to obstruct justice and a justice system criminal who does not meet basic standards. “In terms of justice, the chances of a fair trial in Khashoggi’s case in Saudi Arabia are zero.”
Turkey apparently notified the Saudi consulate and shared the audio of the killing with the CIA, among others.
The murder has caused international outrage and condemnation. Western intelligence agencies, as well as the United States Congress, argued that an operation of this magnitude could not take place without the prince’s knowledge.
Turkey, which has promised to shed light on the brutal killings, began prosecuting the accused in absentia in 2020 after Saudi Arabia rejected their extradition request. Among the accused were two former aides of the prince.
Some of the men were tried behind closed doors at a trial in Riyadh. A Saudi court issued a final verdict in 2020 that sentenced five officers and a middle -ranking official to 20 years in prison. The court initially reduced the death sentence, but reduced the sentence after Khashoggi’s son Salah, who lives in Saudi Arabia, said the defendants had been pardoned. Three others were sentenced to less prison.
This was reported by Fraser of Ankara, Turkey.
Source: Huffpost
