CIA report on Khashoggi murder is disappointing, UN Special Rapporteur says

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial executions, Agnes Callamard, criticized the CIA report on the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, describing it as “very little and disappointing.”

Reuters quoted Callamard as saying  in a statement that it was “extremely dangerous” for the United States to have named Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler as having approved an operation to capture or kill journalist Jamal Khashoggi but not to have taken action against him, reiterating  her call for sanctions targeting Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s assets and his international engagements..

Reuters quoted US State Department spokesman Ned Price as saying in a press briefing that the United States is focusing on the future behavior of Saudi Arabia after the sanctions it imposed on some Saudi officials regarding Khashoggi’s killing, which did not include Crown Prince Bin Salman.

Price indicated that future arms sales to the Saudi regime “will be evaluated on the basis of American interests and values.”

Last Friday, the administration of US President Joe Biden released declassified U.S. intelligence on Khashoggi’s killing, stating: “We see that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approved in 2018 an operation in Istanbul to arrest or kill journalist Jamal Khashoggi. This assessment is based on the crown prince’s control over the decision-making process in Saudi Arabia, the direct involvement of a key advisor and members of bin Salman protection team in the process, and the crown prince’s support for using violent measures to silence dissidents abroad, including Khashoggi.”

It is noteworthy that the Saudi regime try to mislead public opinion and divert attention from the involvement of its officials, led by bin Salman, in the murder of Khashoggi. Saudi regime announced a mock trial of 11 people for being involved in the crime, but in their first trial session at the beginning of this year, the Public Prosecution requested execution punishment for five of them.

Khashoggi was killed on October 2, 2018 in his country’s consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. The Saudi regime hatched several contradictory stories about the crime to dispel suspicions about it. While the administration of former US President Donald Trump worked to cover up the Saudi regime and protect its officials, especially the Crown Prince.

Inas Abdulkareem