Riyadh – Saudi Government on Monday sentenced five people to death and three more to jail terms in the murder case of Saudi journalist Jamal Hamza Khashoggi in Istanbul in October 2018, bringing justice to the most controversial murder case.
Saudi Arabia’s public prosecutor stated that, “it has concluded its invetigations and due process in the case which included 31 individuals of whom 21 individuals have been arrested, and 10 individuals have been called in for questioning without arrest as there was no basis for their detention”, according to a statement released by Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The MFA statement claims that the investigation yielded the results.
#STATEMENT by the Public Prosecutor regarding the murder of citizen Jamal bin Ahmed bin Hamza Khashoggi (may his soul Rest In Peace). pic.twitter.com/745x7OABkx
— Foreign Ministry ?? (@KSAmofaEN) December 23, 2019
Firstly, the indictment of 11 individuals in this case and the filing of criminal charges againt these individuals in the criminal court of Riyadh.
Secondly, the criminal court of Riyadh rendered its decision regarding the 11 individuals who were indicted and charged as follows: (1) Capital punishment for five individuals for committing and directly participating in the murder of the victim. (2) Different sentences amouting to a total of 24 years in prison for three individuals for their role in covering up this crime and violating the law. (3) The court dismissed the public prosecutor’s charges against three individuals and found them to be guilty.
Thirdly, the public prosecution did not file charges against 10 individuals and released them due to insufficient evidence.
Jamal Hamza Khashoggi was murdered inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul after a brawl when he entered to collect some official documents. However, the murder was politicized to disturb the Saudi Royal family’s succession hierarchy.
Khashoggi’s son Salah tweeted in September this year that enemies of Saudi Arabia in the east and west are exploiting his father’s death in order to undermine the Kingdom and its leadership.
He expressed absolute confidence in Saudi Arabia’s judiciary, and the Kingdom’s ability to retrieve justice from the perpetrators of this henous crime.
“I will be as Jamal Khashoggi was, loyal to God, then to my country and it’s leadership,” he added.
