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Published 22:35 IST, November 28th 2018

Jamal Khashoggi's body was cut alive in seven minutes, killer said 'he liked it'

The barbarity of Jamal Kashoggi's murder has reached a possible epitome as new developments come to light, that suggest the killers of the Saudi Arabian journalist were listening to music while they were chopping his body up alive. 

Reported by: Aishwaria Sonavane
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The barbarity of Jamal Kashoggi's murder has reached a possible epitome as new developments come to light, that suggest the killers of the Saudi Arabian journalist were listening to music while they were chopping his body up alive. 

According to the media reports, the Turkish foreign minister citing the audio recording of the murder noted the killers not only were listening to music but one of them also said that he was 'enjoying' the act.

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Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, who personally heard the audio recordings confirmed the details and said that the Washington Post journalist was killed in 7 minutes. 

READ| ''Crown Prince A Red Line In Khashoggi's Probe'', Says Adel Al-Jubeir

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Gory details of the murder reveal that to defuse Khashoggi's screams while he was being cut alive, music was played. 

On November 17, pertaining to the thriving investigations, The US Central Intelligence Agency had concluded Saudi's powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was behind the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, The Washington Post reported, citing people close to the matter.

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According to the CIA findings, 15 Saudi agents flew on government aircraft to Istanbul and assassinated Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate, the Post said.

Saudi Arabia has repeatedly changed its official narrative of the October 2 murder, first denying any knowledge of Khashoggi's whereabouts and later saying he was killed when an argument degenerated into a fistfight.

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In the latest version presented by the Saudi prosecutor on Thursday, a 15-member squad was formed to bring Khashoggi back from Istanbul "by means of persuasion" -- but instead ended up killing the journalist and dismembering his body in a "rogue" operation.

The CIA scrubbed multiple intelligence sources, the Post said, among them a phone call between the prince's brother -- the Saudi ambassador to the United States -- and Khashoggi.

Further, one of the villas searched by Turkish police for the remains of murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi belonged to a friend of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, reports said on Tuesday, November 27.

READ| Turkey Searches Villa Of 'Close' Saudi Prince Associate: Reports

The ambassador and Prince crown's brother reportedly told the late journalist that he would be safe to go to the consulate in Istanbul and get the papers he needed.

The US intelligence agency also said in determining the Crown Prince's role it considered him a "de facto ruler" in Saudi Arabia: "The accepted position is that there is no way this happened without him being aware or involved," the Post quoted an official as saying.

 

22:25 IST, November 28th 2018