Rabat – Earlier this year, the UN extrajudicial executions investigator, Agnes Callamard said that Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was “the victim of a brutal and premeditated” murder by Saudi officials.
Khashoggi, a columnist for The Washington Post, who was an outspoken critic of Saudi Arabia‘s ruling family, was allegedly strangled in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul by operatives of the Saudi state, on October 2, 2018.
Agnes Callamard is set to issue her report on the Khashoggi killing on Wednesday, June 19 2019 and present it on June 26 to the UN Human Rights Council.
Khashoggi’s remains have not yet been traced, but Callamard and her team of forensic and legal experts have accessed “chilling and gruesome audio materials” of his death gathered by the Turkish intelligence agency.
Her report is expected to hold individuals from both Turkey and Saudi Arabia accountable.
Callamard cited “credible evidence” that high-level Saudi officials were implicated, while Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) should also be investigated over the alleged murder.
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Saudi officials continue to deny the accusations.
Turkey sought to have the trial of the Saudi suspects held in Istanbul, but Saudi Arabia repeatedly turned down the requests.
Callamard has denounced the lack of transparency concerning the trials of 11 suspects being held in Saudi Arabia. The names of the suspects and the details of the charges against them have not been released. Khashoggi’s killing has tainted the image of the crown prince, who was previously acclaimed for his advancing changes in the conservative kingdom.
US President Donald Trump’s administration said it is expecting its close Middle East ally, Saudi Arabia, to make “tangible progress” towards holding accountable those truly responsible for the Khashoggi killing.
