Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister has offered condolences to the family of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and said his killing was a tragedy and a terrible mistake.
London: Saudi Arabia has now called the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at its Istanbul consulate a “huge and grave mistake”, but sought to shield its powerful crown prince from the widening crisis, saying Mohammed bin Salman had not been aware.
Comments from Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir were some of the most direct yet from Riyadh which has given multiple and conflicting accounts about Khashoggi’s killing on Oct.2, first denying his death before admitting it on Saturday amid an international outcry.
US Treasury Secretary Stephen Mnuchin said on Sunday that Saudi Arabia’s admission that the dissident journalist had been killed in a fistfight was a “good first step but not enough”, though he added it was premature to discuss any sanctions against Riyadh.
Three major European powers – Germany, Britain and France – pressed Saudi Arabia to provide facts to back up its earlier explanation of a fight.
Speaking to US broadcaster Fox, Foreign Minister Jubeir on Sunday extended condolences to members of the journalist’s family.
“This is a terrible mistake”. This is a terrible tragedy. Our condolences go out to them. We feel their pain,” he said. “Unfortunately, a huge and grave mistake was made and I assure them that those responsible will be held accountable for this.”
He said the Saudis did not know how Khashoggi, a Saudi national and US resident, had been killed or where his body was.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan – who has remained largely silent, even as Turkey’s pro-government media has reported gruesome allegations that Khashoggi was tortured in the consulate and his body cut up – said he would reveal “necessary details” about the case on Tuesday.
Khashoggi went missing after entering the consulate to obtain documents for his upcoming marriage.
After denying any involvement in the 59-year-old’s disappearance for two weeks, Saudi Arabia on Saturday said Khashoggi, a critic of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, had died during a fight in the building. An hour later, another Saudi official attributed the death to a chokehold.
“Nothing can justify this killing and we condemn it in the strongest possible terms,” Germany, Britain and France said in their joint statement on Sunday.
“There remains an urgent need for clarification of exactly what happened … beyond the hypotheses that have been raised so far in the Saudi investigation, which need to be backed by facts to be considered credible.”
Reflecting international scepticism over its account, a senior Saudi government official has laid out a new version that in key respects contradicts previous explanations.
The latest account includes details on how the team of 15 Saudi nationals sent to confront Khashoggi had threatened him with being drugged and kidnapped and killed him in a chokehold when he resisted.
