Khashoggi’s Murder Case Under Spotlight

A year has passed since Jamal Khashoggi, the Saudi journalist, was murdered at the Saudi Arabian Consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. Recently Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has said he takes “full responsibility” for the murder of Khashoggi – but denies allegations that he ordered the killing.

IRAN NEWS POLITICAL DESK

Bin Salman’s confessions were published while media outlets on last Sunday reported the murder of Major General Abdul Aziz al-Faghm, the long-time personal bodyguard of Saudi Arabia’s King Salman. These two reports led to different assumptions in the social media and media outlets which all cast doubts on murder of al-Faghm.

Arabi 21 news website in a report pointed to the police statement which said al-Faghm had a verbal exchange with Mamdouh bin Meshaal Al Ali, a man described as his friend, who then retrieved a firearm from outside and opened fire. The news website claimed despite what is said in Riyadh, Mamdouh has not been an ordinary citizen. It claimed Mamdouh was former member of Saudi Shoura Council and probably one of Saudi intelligence service officers.

It seems Bin Salman decided to at first to remove the link between him and Khashoggi hit team and then he has accepted the responsibility of Khashoggi’s murder in order to pave the way for trial of the hit team. So by this move, Bin Salman will be put an end to the Khashoggi’s murder case without being pointed as main culprit.

American newspaper New York Times also reported that last Saturday and concurrent with the murder of Al-Faghm, Riyadh had asked intelligence services of some regional states for providing it with information about some Saudi nationals. The report claimed that Bin Salman personally had called for collecting information. Netizens say that the killer of al-Faghm is the son of Dr. Mashaal Al Ali, former member of Saudi Shoura Council, and from Shammar tribe and his ancestors have been once rulers of Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, Saad al-Faqih told Khaleej Online that the operation which led to the murder of General al-Faghm was at the behest of Prince Bin Salman; especially at the time of murder, al-Faghm was present in the Royal Palace and Bin Salman along the said murderer Mamdouh bin Meshaal Al Ali were also in the palace.

The mysterious murder of King Salman’s personal bodyguard once again revived the Khashoggi’s murder case in the world because at first, it was announced that one of the friends of Al-Faghm had murdered him but it is now reported that the murder is linked to Bin Salman.

English newspaper the Times is famous for reporting exclusive news and reports from Saudi Arabia. On last Sunday, the daily in a report said there were some assumptions that link al-Faghm’s murder to Khashoggi’s murder case.

Riyadh has claimed that al-Faghm has been killed by one of his friends after a dispute in his own house. Riyadh also claims that murderer has been killed during confrontation with security forces. The Times by reviewing the official announcements of the Saudis wrote, “Al-Faghm, 47, had been widely seen as the king’s most trusted personal protection officer. His death immediately led to speculation of palace intrigue, with claims that he had recently been dismissed from the king’s service and may have had information pertinent to the murder of Mr Khashoggi.”

Exactly one year ago, Khashoggi for had gone to Saudi Arabia’s Consulate in Istanbul to obtain papers he needed to marry his Turkish fiancée but a hit team murdered and dismembered him and destroyed his corpse.

All news and reports indicate that the nightmare of Khashoggi’s still haunts Bin Salman and has not let him breathe a sigh of relief, and international journalists’ community should work together for an international campaign to take Bin Salman to the International Court of Justice and to put him on trial as a anti-human rights criminal.

 By: Hamid Reza Naghashian