Saudi journalist Khashoggi disappears after visit to consulate in Turkey

Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi has disappeared in Turkey after visiting the Saudi consulate, his fiancée reported today.

In an exclusive interview with Arabi21 Hatice Cengiz said Khashoggi entered the consulate at 13:00 local time to collect some documents and never left. Officials had told her that Khashoggi left the building, Hatice Cengiz added.

She added that she contacted Turkish security forces but did not receive any information about Khashoggi’s disappearance.

“Khashoggi visited the Riyadh consulate in Istanbul last week for family papers, but the consulate staff asked him to return days later to complete the procedures for his papers for bureaucratic reasons. That’s what he did today before his disappearance,” said Hatice Cengiz.

Saudi rights group, M3takl, announced on Twitter that it can “confirm the arrival of Jamal Khashoggi to assuring Arabia”.

https://twitter.com/m3takl_en/status/1047209241575088131?s=12

Khashoggi is a Saudi journalist, columnist and author. He previously served as a media aide to Prince Turki Al Faisal while he was Saudi ambassador to the United States.

On Saturday Khashoggi spoke at a MEMO conference which marked 25 years since the signing of the Oslo Accords.

This is not the first time an outspoken critic of the Saudi regime has disappeared. Prince Sultan Bin Turki went missing after boarding plane in Paris ostensibly bound for Cairo in 2016. Journalist Hugh Miles reported that over a period of two years, three princes have gone missing after criticising the Al Saud government.

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