Saudi Arabia jails eight over Khashoggi murder, fiancee decries trial

By Marwa Rashad and Raya Jalabi

 

FILE PHOTO: The Committee to Protect Journalists and other press freedom activists hold a candlelight vigil in front of the Saudi Embassy to mark the anniversary of the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul, Wednesday evening in Washington, U.S., October 2, 2019. REUTERS/Sarah Silbiger.

 

RIYADH/BEIRUT (Reuters) - A Saudi Arabian court on Monday jailed eight people for between seven and 20 years for the 2018 murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, state media reported, four months after his family forgave his killers and enabled death sentences to be set aside.

 

The trial was criticised by a U.N. official and human rights campaigners who said the masterminds of the murder remained free.

 

Khashoggi, a critic of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was last seen at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2, 2018, where he had gone to obtain documents for his impending wedding. His body was reportedly dismembered and removed from the building and his remains have not been found.

 

The murder caused a global uproar and tarnished the reformist image of Prince Mohammed, the kingdom's de facto ruler and son of King Salman.

 

State media reported that five people were handed 20-year prison sentences, one person was sentenced to 10 years and two people received seven-year sentences for the killing.

 

None of the defendants was named.

 

The ruling effectively sets aside five previous death sentences, following a decision from the journalist's family to pardon his killers. Emer McCarthy reports.

 

After the ruling, Khashoggi's fiancee said the eight jailed were not the only ones responsible for the murder.

 

"The Saudi authorities are closing the case without the world knowing the truth of who is responsible for Jamal's murder," Hatice Cengiz wrote in a statement. "Who planned it, who ordered it, where is his body?"

 

In December, the court sentenced five people to death and three to jail, saying the killing was not premeditated but carried out on "the spur of the moment."

 

CRITICISM FROM ABROAD

Some Western governments, as well as the CIA, had said previously they believed Prince Mohammed had ordered the killing.

 

Saudi officials denied he played a role, although the prince in September 2019 indicated some personal accountability, saying that "it happened under my watch".

 

In May, the family of the slain journalist said it forgave his murderers, paving the way for a reprieve for the five defendants sentenced to death.

 

In Saudi Arabia, which lacks a codified legal system and follows Islamic law, forgiveness from a victim's family in such cases can allow for a formal pardon and a stay of execution.

 

Many Saudis hailed Monday's ruling in comments on Twitter, a platform favoured by pro-government supporters. Some said the ruling ended one of the most difficult political cases the kingdom has faced. Others said the ruling made Saudi Arabia the "land of justice", a "country where rights are never lost."

 

But Agnes Callamard, the U.N. special rapporteur for extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, accused Saudi Arabia of making a "mockery of justice" by not punishing more senior officials who, she said, were behind the murder.

 

She said on Twitter the trial was not fair or transparent and "the responsibility of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has not even been addressed."

 

Adam Coogle, deputy director of the Middle East and North Africa division of Human Rights Watch, said the conviction of individuals "does not hide the fact that the Saudi legal process has shielded top officials from any and all scrutiny."

 

"How can the regime be accused of the murder and at the same time it is responsible for the trial?" said Yahia Assiri, founder of London-based Saudi rights group ALQST.

 

Turkey, which launched its own trial against 20 Saudi officials in July, said the verdict in Saudi Arabia fell short of expectations, urging Saudi authorities to cooperate with Turkey's investigation.

 

"We still don't know what happened to Khashoggi's body, who wanted him dead or if there were local collaborators – which casts doubt on the credibility of the legal proceedings in KSA," presidency communications director Fahrettin Altun said on Twitter, referring to Saudi Arabia.

 

(Reporting by Marwa Rashad, Raya Jalabi and Yousef Saba; Additional reporting by Aziz El Yaakoubi and Ali Kucukgocmen in Istanbul; Writing by Marwa Rashad; Editing by William Maclean, Timothy Heritage and Peter Cooney)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-09-08

 

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Off-topic post removed.  

 

Bet money those (un named)defendants don’t see any jail time

This really surprises me...expected the Saudis to sweep this under the rug...wondering, who did the arm twisting?

The hypocrisy between this case and Navalny stinks to high heaven.

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Others said the ruling made Saudi Arabia the "land of justice", a "country where rights are never lost."

You cannot lose something that you never had.

3 hours ago, webfact said:

the killing was not premeditated but carried out on "the spur of the moment."

The "spur of the moment" included an impulse trip of a killing team to Turkey whose arrival time at the embassy the day of the victims appointment was pure coincidence. 

Another country where there is no truth.

 

Truth is what the masterminds running the country, decide to be the truth.

 

Many other countries like that as we know.

So tell Mohammed bin Salman that he will have to change his towel around his head as today is washing day ......

Naah, stupid me, it is not him going to the gallows, getting flogged with 2'500 lashes nor stoned in the desert of his kingdom ???? 

There is little doubt that Saudi Arabia is a chief enemy of the Western world. Their continued support of extremism, either directly, or through the extremist Madrasas, preaching a hateful brand of Wahhabism, is toxic and dangerous. MBS is a serial killer, no doubt. The world seems to be aware of this, and his reign of terror just seems to be getting started. He needs to be stopped, somehow. The sooner, the better.

Quote

"....the killing was not premeditated but carried out on "the spur of the moment."

 

Lucky coincidence someone packed that bone-saw.

 

I live in saudi. They're nice and friendly people. A lot more genuinely welcoming than Thais in many ways. 

1 hour ago, bermondburi said:

I live in saudi. They're nice and friendly people. A lot more genuinely welcoming than Thais in many ways. 

 

The people may very well be great. I think the topic, and the criticism is more to do with leadership. The same gap seems to exist in many countries.

33 minutes ago, Morch said:

 

The people may very well be great. I think the topic, and the criticism is more to do with leadership. The same gap seems to exist in many countries.

Absolutely. I just thought it worth mentioning. 

10 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

There is little doubt that Saudi Arabia is a chief enemy of the Western world.

Western world closes eyes if there is a money benefit.

1 minute ago, Dmitry2222 said:

Western world closes eyes if there is a money benefit.

Stop the oil supply and fuel prices will increase for everyone 

12 hours ago, Dmitry2222 said:

Western world closes eyes if there is a money benefit.

 

Whereas China, Russia always take the high road, holding to noble ideals and principles.

A reported off topic post has been removed

On 9/8/2020 at 5:22 AM, webfact said:

The trial was criticised by a U.N. official and human rights campaigners who said the masterminds of the murder remained free.

nothing new here, we all know that, the question is what will the  UN, human rights and other officials will do about the "farce" Trump cover up the murder for a $110 million arms deal with the prince

On 9/8/2020 at 5:56 AM, Tug said:

Bet money those (un named)defendants don’t see any jail time

that's not a fair bet 555

22 hours ago, bermondburi said:

I live in saudi. They're nice and friendly people. A lot more genuinely welcoming than Thais in many ways. 

 and that includes the government ?

4 minutes ago, Mavideol said:

 and that includes the government ?

A previous poster made that point already, and as I said previously I thought it worth mentioning. It's important to distinguish between the actions of government and the people themselves. Just like any other country there is a wide spectrum of political beliefs and viewpoints held by the people. 

 

I do work for a government institution here though actually. ????

8 minutes ago, bermondburi said:

A previous poster made that point already, and as I said previously I thought it worth mentioning. It's important to distinguish between the actions of government and the people themselves. Just like any other country there is a wide spectrum of political beliefs and viewpoints held by the people. 

 

I do work for a government institution here though actually. ????

but they can't made their viewpoints/beliefs public... are the ladies/women allowed to drive and go out alone now?....  what a government of hypocrisy, unfortunately they aren't alone !!!

3 hours ago, Mavideol said:

but they can't made their viewpoints/beliefs public... are the ladies/women allowed to drive and go out alone now?....  what a government of hypocrisy, unfortunately they aren't alone !!!

To be fair, there are many countries in the world where people have to keep their views to themselves. KSA is not unique in that respect. Not that I'm saying that's a good thing. 

 

For as long as I've been in Saudi, women have been allowed to go out on their own. If they haven't it is because their family won't let them, not because of any laws. And women can drive now and it's more and more common. Obviously things take time, and attitudes change slowly. 

 

 

I can only speak anecdotally from what I've observed with my own eyes, but even in the provincial city I live in, population 800,000, in the most conservative area in the country, the changes over the past couple of years have been incredible. When I first moved to this area from Riyadh 5 years ago I could go 1 whole month and not see a single woman's face. Now it's a lot more common. Only the other week, sitting in a coffee shop with a friend, 2 women drove up in their land cruiser, came in and ordered coffee. Neither was wearing a hijab or a niqab, both were wearing lipstick. They even sat down at the next table!! This would have been unimaginable even last year! 

 

To an outside observer, one might think so what. But to someone on the inside the speed of change right now is happening at breakneck speed. It's not often you get to see a country changing before your eyes in such a short time.