FILE PHOTO: Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi speaks at an event hosted by Middle East Monitor in London Britain, September 29, 2018.
The international community should introduce diplomatic sanctions against Saudi Arabia over the alleged murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, said a prominent UK-based academic and political commentator on Friday.
Dr. Daud Abdullah, who is also the director of the Middle East Monitor in London, said: "There is an issue of criminal accountability for those who ordered it [the alleged murder of Khashoggi] and for those who executed it."
The Washington Post journalist has disappeared on Oct. 2 after entering the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. He has since been feared dead.
Speaking to Sky News channel, Abdullah drew parallels between the alleged murder in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul and the nerve-agent attack in Salisbury, U.K.
Turkey has not shared any audio recordings with anyone, its foreign minister said on Friday, dismissing reports that Ankara had passed on audio evidence of the killing of a dissident Saudi journalist to the United States.Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu also told reporters Turkey has evidence and information obtained from its investigation into Jamal Khashoggi's disappearance on Oct. 2.Turkish authorities have an audio recording which indicates that Khashoggi was killed in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, a Turkish official and a security source told Reuters this week. Saudi Arabia has denied Turkey's allegation that Khashoggi was killed at the consulate and his body removed.UK says any response over Khashoggi case would be 'considered'"Turkey has not given a voice recording to Pompeo or any other American official," Çavuşoğlu told reporters on a visit to Albania, when asked about a report it had passed on information to the United States and its Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who held emergency talks in Saudi Arabia and Turkey this week."We will share the results that emerge transparently with the whole world. We have not shared any information at all with any country."The disappearance and likely death of Khashoggi, a U.S. resident and Washington Post columnist, has caused an international outcry and strained relations between Saudi Arabia and the West.Saudi may blame adviser for Khashoggi killing: reportPresident Donald Trump said on Thursday he believes Khashoggi is dead and that the U.S. response to Saudi Arabia will likely be "very severe" but that he wanted to get to the bottom of what happened.Turkish police are searching a forest on the outskirts of Istanbul and a city near the Sea of Marmara for the remains of Khashoggi more than two weeks after he vanished after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, two senior Turkish officials told Reuters on Thursday. US lawmakers seek sanctions on Riyadh over KhashoggiSaudi response to Khashoggi case raises questionsFETÖ structure in AlbaniaÇavuşoğlu said Albania showed an example of “powerful solidarity” after the defeated July 15, 2016 military coup attempt orchestrated by FETÖ and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen which left 251 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.However, he stressed there is a “very serious” FETÖ structure in Albania and said Turkey expects extradition of the terror group’s members.Ankara also accuses FETÖ of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.The terror group also runs a network of private schools in foreign countries.‘Turkey requested extradition of 419 FETÖ fugitives’
Turkey has not shared audio recordings with anyone, FM says
"There is also a need for diplomatic sanctions the type of which we saw being imposed upon Russia in the Salisbury affair," Abdullah said.
"It cannot be accepted that we did this in terms of Russia after the poisoning in Salisbury, the violation of British sovereign rights," he said.
The Salisbury nerve-agent attack targeted former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia Skripal earlier this year.
Abdullah said he last saw Khashoggi in a conference in September in London, adding the journalist's self-imposed exile proved his fear of the Saudi authorities as he was an open critic of the Saudi government.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday said, "Unless the miracle of all miracles happens, I would acknowledge that he’s dead."
British foreign minister Jeremy Hunt said on Friday that allegations regarding the case of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi would be totally unacceptable if true but any response by Britain would be "considered"."Part of our reaction will depend on the Saudi reaction, and whether we sense that they are taking it as seriously as we are taking it. But this is a very, very serious matter," Hunt told BBC radio."Our relationship with Saudi is a strategic relationship as well. Our response will be considered... (but) in the end, if these stories are true, we have to be absolutely clear, it would not be consistent with our values."Turkish officials have said they believe Khashoggi was murdered at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Riyadh denies the allegations.New York museums to stop using Saudi money for programsFamily of Saudi journalist considers him 'missing'Saudi may blame adviser for Khashoggi killing: report
UK says any response over Khashoggi case would be 'considered'
The family of missing Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi considers him "missing" until given proof otherwise, U.S. broadcaster CNN reported Thursday.Motasem Khashoggi, the Saudi journalist’s cousin and the family’s spokesperson, told CNN in a statement that the family does not have "legal or official proof" of his death.Saying he believes the investigation will conclude quickly, Motasem called on the media to only use official sources on Jamal’s disappearance.He said Jamal represented his country, family and profession at the highest level, adding he was “never a dissident".Motasem added that the Khashoggi family has been in close contact with the Saudi government “at the highest level".Recordings reveal Khashoggi tortured then dismembered while still aliveJamal Khashoggi has been missing since Oct. 2 when he entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.On the same day of Khashoggi's disappearance, 15 other Saudis, including several officials, arrived in Istanbul on two planes and visited the consulate while he was still inside, according to Turkish police sources. All of the identified individuals have since left Turkey.On Wednesday, crime scene investigation units arrived at the official residence of Saudi Consul General Mohammad al-Otaibi around 4.40 p.m. local time (1340GMT). Al-Otaibi had left Turkey for Riyadh on Tuesday.Officials from a joint Turkish-Saudi team completed an investigation into the case early Thursday after searching the residence as well as the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.Saudi may blame adviser for Khashoggi killing: reportTrump says he believes Khashoggi is dead
Family of Saudi journalist considers him 'missing'
Saudi Arabia is considering putting the blame for the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi on an intelligence officer who is close to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the New York Times reported Thursday.Sources told the Times rulers in the kingdom are planning to pin fault on Gen. Ahmed al-Assiri, an adviser to the crown prince, in a move that could deflect fingers pointed at the 33-year-old aspirant."The Saudi rulers are expected to say that General Assiri received verbal authorization from Prince Mohammed to capture Mr. Khashoggi for an interrogation in Saudi Arabia, but either misunderstood his instructions or overstepped that authorization and took the dissident’s life," two people familiar with the plan told the Times on condition of anonymity.Trump says he believes Khashoggi is deadBin Salman, the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, has been seen by many in the West as a reformer that has brought massive social change and progressive reform to the kingdom.However, his image has been tainted in recent weeks because of the global outcry over the missing journalist.Khashoggi, a Saudi national and columnist for The Washington Post, was last seen entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2. Evidence is mounting that the journalist was killed and dismembered by Saudi nationals who flew into Istanbul that same day.Officials from a joint Turkish-Saudi team completed an investigation into the case early Thursday after searching the residence as well as the Saudi Consulate building in Istanbul.France suspends political visits to Saudi ArabiaMeanwhile, a wave of bipartisan U.S. lawmakers have taken a stand against Saudi Arabia, demanding answers on Khashoggi's disappearance.Democratic Congressman Jim McGovern introduced a bill in the House of Representatives that would halt arms sales to Saudi Arabia unless Secretary of State Mike Pompeo certifies the kingdom did not order the killing of Jamal Khashoggi. The bill currently has 8 cosponsors from both political parties.After returning from a trip to Saudi Arabia and Turkey, however, Pompeo said he advised U.S. President Donald Trump to give Saudi officials "a few more days" to continue the investigation.Aide to Prince Salman seen walking into Saudi consulateTrump, along with senior officials in the administration, have defended bin Salman, with Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and Middle East advisor, telling the president to stand behind the crown prince, the newspaper reported.The Times said that Saudi had already briefed the U.S. on their plan, and people "close to the White House have already been briefed and given General Assiri’s name."Assiri was previously the spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen and had been promoted to a high ranking adviser last year.US lawmakers seek sanctions on Riyadh over KhashoggiSaudi response to Khashoggi case raises questionsPompeo heard recording of Khashoggi ‘murder': Report
Saudi may blame adviser for Khashoggi killing: report