Turkey condemns Saudi court's final verdict on Jamal Khashoggi murder

As Saudi Arabia overturned the death sentences of five of the convicted individuals for the gruesome murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Turkey expressed its dissatisfaction with the verdict on September 8. Taking to Twitter, Turkish presidential communications director Fahrettin Altun said that the Saudi Arabia court ruling fell short of Turkey’s expectation and also the international community. With multiple posts, Altun goes on to say that they still are unaware of what happened to the journalist’s body and who wanted to murder him. 

According to Turkish presidential communications, because there are still questions about who were the collaborators in the brutal killing of Jamal Khashoggi, it poses doubts on the entire credibility of the proceedings taken Saudi Arabia. Adding that it is a “legal and conscientious obligation” for the authorities to dig out more information of the entire incident, Altun said that Turkey had been urging the Saudi officials to cooperate with the ongoing investigation in Turkey. 

Read - Saudi Court Overturns Death Sentence Of Jamal Khashoggi's Killers; Fiancee Calls It Farce

Read - Jamal Khashoggi Murder Trial: Consulate Worker Says He Was Told To ‘light Up The Oven’

Saudi Arabia announced final verdict

Altun’s discontentment came just hours after Saudi court announced its final verdict on September 7 (local time) in the case of slain Washington Post columnist and Saudi critic Jamal Khashoggi after his son, who is still a resident of the kingdom, announced the pardons sparing the five individuals convicted of journalist’s execution.

Even though Saudi Arabia has concluded the case, it has continued to cast a shadow on the international standing of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, whose associates remain sanctioned by both United States and the UK for their alleged involvement in Khashoggi murder that reportedly took place inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul in October 2018. 

In the final hearing of the case, the Riyadh Criminal Court handed 20-year sentences to five people who were earlier given death sentences and seven to 10 years prison to three others - who were earlier sent to prison for 24-years. Khashoggi’s son had pardoned the killers of his father back in May and as per Saudi law, a pardon from the son of a murder victim remains a legal reprieve. 

On May 21, Salah Khashoggi, eldest son of the late journalist who was killed inside the Saudi consulate in Turkey, took to Twitter and said, "On this virtuous night of (Ramadan), we recall the words of God Almighty ... whoever pardons and makes reconciliations, his reward is from Allah. So we, the sons of the martyr Jamal Khashoggi, announce that we have pardoned (those) who killed our father."

Read - Turkey Starts Absentia Trial Against Alleged Killers Of Jamal Khashoggi

Read - Jamal Khashoggi's Fiancee Appears At Istanbul Saudi Trial

Image: AP