New York, March 25, 2020 — The Committee to Protect Journalists today welcomed an announcement that Turkish officials have indicted 20 Saudi nationals on charges of murder and incitement linked to the 2018 killing of exiled Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and issued the following statement:
“Today’s indictments represent an important step towards achieving justice for the killing of Jamal Khashoggi, but much work remains to be done,” said Gulnoza Said, CPJ’s Europe and Central Asia program coordinator. “Saudi and Turkish authorities should ensure that all those involved in the gruesome murder, including the masterminds, are held accountable, no matter how influential they may be.”
The Istanbul Chief Prosecutor Office is seeking aggravated life sentences for 18 men for murder charges, charged two others with “incitement to first degree murder,” and issued Interpol notices for their arrests, according to news reports.
Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist, was killed and dismembered in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October 2018. A report released by the CIA found that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the journalist’s murder, according to The Washington Post.