Saudi Arabia sentences 5 to death in Khashoggi’s case, frees ex-adviser to crown prince

Saudi Arabia has sentenced five people to death in the case of the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the kingdom’s public prosecutor announced today.

The public prosecutor told reporters that another three people were sentenced to a combined 24 years in prison.

“Former high-profile Saudi royal media adviser, Saud Al-Qahtani, was investigated but not charged and was released,” he pointed out.

He went on to say that the former Saudi Consul General to Turkey, Mohammad Al-Otaibi, was also “released”.

UN: Justice has not been ensured over Khashoggi’s murder

Concerns, however, remain about Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman’s involvement in the murder.

Khashoggi, a columnist for the Washington Post, was killed in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, on 2 October 2018. His body has never been recovered.

The move sparked international outrage. His murder was said to have been ordered by the crown prince while Al-Qahtani was said to have overseen the operation.

In May, the UN human rights investigator Agnes Callamard concluded it was a “deliberate, premeditated execution”, and called for Bin Salman to be investigated.