Published 08:19 IST, December 19th 2020
Jamal Khashoggi's fiancee urges Biden to release CIA’s classified report into the murder
Hatice Cengiz, fiancee of slain journalist Jamal Khashoggi, has urged US president-elect, Joe Biden, to release the CIA’s classified report into his murder.
Hatice Cengiz, the fiancee of slain journalist Jamal Khashoggi, has urged the US president-elect, Joe Biden, to release the CIA’s classified report on his murder as soon as he enters the White House. Khashoggi, a columnist for Washington Post disappeared while visiting Saudi Consulate on his trip to Istanbul in 2018. Later, Suadi officials admitted that Khashoggi was mistakenly killed during an extradition operation. However, the crown Prince continues to deny any knowledge of the same.
'Release classified documents'
Calling on the American authorities to release the classified documents, she asserted that it would “greatly assist in uncovering the truth" about people responsible for his murder. Although official investigation reports have not been released as yet, media reports have alleged the role of Saudi Prince Mohammad Bin Salman in his killing.
Biden had repeatedly denounced Saudi Arabia’s sordid activities and promised that he would withdraw the US from an arms deal with Riyadh signed by his predecessor. During his 2020 election campaign, Biden had even promised that he would make Saudi Arabia “the pariah they are” if he was elected. Sticking to the same, the incoming Biden administration was considering the release of documents to provide transparency, The Gaudian reported citing a White House source.
The gruesome murder has triggered worldwide rage and stained the reputation of the oil-rich kingdom as well as its Crown Prince. The current ongoing Turkish trial is being held separately after Saudi court on September 7 announced its final verdict in the case of slain Washington Post columnist and Saudi critic Jamal Khashoggi and overturned the death sentences of five individuals convicted for the gruesome murder.
Instead, Riyadh court imprisoned eight unidentified people for seven to 20-year terms. This was deemed as a “parody of justice” by Amnesty International and Reporters Without Borders (RSF). Seeking justice to the two-year-old incident, the Turkish prosecutors have charged Saudi’s former deputy intelligence chief Ahmed al-Assiri and the royal court's one-time media czar Saud al-Qahtani with plotting the Khashoggi murder and even giving direct orders to a Saudi hit team.
Updated 08:19 IST, December 19th 2020