Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul, Turkey.
The United States told the U.N. Human Rights Council on Monday that it condemned the "premeditated killing" of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi and said a thorough and transparent investigation was essential.
The United States had observer status at the U.N. review of Saudi Arabia's rights record. Washington quit the 47-member council in June, accusing it of bias against Israel.
Nine days after journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed in the Saudi consulate in Turkey’s Istanbul on Oct. 2, a chemist and toxicologist were sent to Istanbul to get rid of the body and eliminate evidence, Turkish daily Sabah reported on Monday.Chemist Ahmed Abdulaziz Aljanobi and toxicology expert Khaled Yahya Al Zahrani were part of an 11-member delegation from Saudi Arabia that that entered Turkey via Istanbul’s Sabiha Gökçen Airport on Oct. 11 as part of the joint investigation into the disappearance of Khashoggi.Saudi Arabia tells UN rights body that will prosecute Khashoggi murderSaudi squad cleaned consulate, residence for one weekAccording to intelligence information received by Sabah, Aljanobi and Zahrani visited the Saudi consulate from Oct. 12 until Oct. 17 as a part of the so-called investigation team, and also worked to eliminate evidence at the residence of the Saudi consul-general. The 11-member team left Turkey on Oct. 20.It is believed that the duo engaged first in search activities before wiping the crime scenes clean.Turkey was only granted permission to search the Saudi consulate on Oct. 15, which it carried out for two consecutive days, and the search of the residence was conducted on Oct. 17. Sabah reported that the chemist and toxicology expert carried out their work at the consulate and residence until Oct. 17.Reports Khashoggi's body dissolved in acid must beinvestigated: Turkish VPRemains possibly dissolved in acid“They [the chemist and toxicology expert] have the ability to remove any toxic or acid substances. An attempt was possibly made to render the victim unrecognizable by pouring acid onto his corpse. It may have been intended to clean the body fluids that could have splattered around. Of course, this is all hypothetical,” said Dr. Şevki Sözen, who is an academic at Istanbul University’s Faculty of Medicine.Saudis failed to eliminate all evidence“These two specialists may have come to remove the victim’s splattered tissue and blood. It appears that the Saudis sent two teams to kill Jamal Khashoggi, dismember him and then clean the crime scene. The presence of a toxicologist and chemist in the Saudi delegation is an indication that the body was dismembered. These experts entered the residence for cleaning purposes. The Saudis may have stalled crime scene investigators for this reason. According to the information we received from a reliable source, the investigation teams found a blood sample during the search. And a sample was taken from the wall. That means the Saudis couldn't completely eliminate all evidence,” said retired murder detective Savaş Kurtbaba.SoftBank's Saudi ties in focus as CEO Son makes first appearance since journalist murderKhashoggi, a Washington Post columnist and critic of Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was killed inside the Consulate of Saudi Arabia in Istanbul after he went there to obtain documents for his forthcoming marriage.The Saudi government initially insisted Khashoggi had left the consulate, later saying he died in an unplanned "rogue operation". On Oct. 25, the kingdom's public prosecutor Saud Al Mojeb said the attack was premeditated.Istanbul chief prosecutor Irfan Fidan said last week that Khashoggi was suffocated as soon as he entered the consulate, and his body then cut up and disposed of. Turkey has demanded cooperation from Saudi officials.Khashoggi's sons plead for father's body return
Saudi experts spent six days cleaning consulate after Khashoggi killing: report
Saudi Arabia told the United Nations on Monday it would prosecute those responsible for the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at its Istanbul consulate, and defended its human rights record.Bandar Al Aiban, the head of the Saudi government delegation at the first U.N. review of the kingdom's record in five years, heard calls from other envoys for a credible investigation into the killing and for the protection of critics of the government.He told the hearing that King Salman had instructed the Saudi public prosecutor to "proceed with the investigation into this case according to the applicable laws and preparation to reaching all facts and bringing all the perpetrators to justice".In the remarks, which did not appear in an advance transcript of the speech, Aiban gave no details on the status or whereabouts of the 18 Saudi nationals detained in connection with the case.Saudi experts spent six days cleaning consulate after Khashoggi killing: reportKhashoggi's sons on Monday demanded the return of the body of the Washington Post columnist and critic of the Saudi government, who disappeared at the consulate on Oct. 2.Saudi officials initially insisted Khashoggi had left the consulate, then said he died in an unplanned "rogue operation". The kingdom's public prosecutor Saud al-Mojeb later said he was killed in a premeditated attack.Envoys from Australia, Belgium, Canada and Italy joined others at the debate calling for a credible and thorough investigation into Khashoggi's death. "Reports that the killing was pre-meditated are deeply alarming," Australian ambassador Sally Mansfield told the U.N. Human Rights Council hearing.France's ambassador Francois Rivasseau called on Saudi Arabia to "immediate halt imprisonment and arbitrary arrests" of journalists and activists, and to guarantee freedom of religion.Reports Khashoggi's body dissolved in acid must beinvestigated: Turkish VPAustria, Belgium, and Denmark raised concerns about arrests of activists including women for their rights campaigns.Aiban, who is president of the official Human Rights Commission of Saudi Arabia, said the kingdom was constantly striving to promote and protect human rights "driven by the honourable principles and provisions of Islamic sharia and the traditional values of our society," said."The kingdom has spared no effort in combating and criminalising criminal conduct that could undermine, threaten or violate human rights, notably extremism, terrorism and corruption, and illustrating the contradiction between these acts and the principles of Islamic sharia," he said.Saudi Arabia denies link to death of two sisters in USFreedom of opinion and expression were guaranteed, but was limited by laws that protect the rights of others as well as the "prerequisites of national security and public order", he said.Women's rights were the subject of most reforms and developments over the last five years, Aiban added. Women were allowed to vote and stand as candidates in municipal councils and driving licenses have been issued to women since June. Egypt's ambassador Alaa Youssef praised Saudi Arabia's efforts to confront terrorism and radicalism. The United States, a major ally of the kingdom, was also due to take the floor. It has observer status, having quit the 47-member forum in June accusing it of bias against Israel. US mourners gather at service for Jamal Khashoggi
Saudi Arabia vows to prosecute Khashoggi killers, defends rights record at UN
Reports that the body of slain Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was dissolved in acid need to be investigated, Turkey's Vice President Fuat Oktay said on Monday."The question now is who gave the orders. This is what we are seeking answers to now," Oktay said while speaking to Anadolu Agency’s Editor Desk."Another question is where the body is... There are reports of (the body) being dissolved with acid now. All of these need to be looked at."Khashoggi's sons plead for father's body returnJamal Khashoggi, a journalist critical of the Saudi state, was murdered early last month in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. On Friday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said the order to kill Khashoggi came from the "highest levels" of the Saudi government.“Turkey is approaching the Khashoggi killing with transparency and a serious manner. It has given the message that nobody will ever attempt to commit such a murder and those who do will pay the price,” Oktay added.Turkey praised for handling of Khashoggi affairU.S. sanctions on Iran“It's not meaningful and fair to expect all countries to obey sanctions upon a country's interests. We clearly expressed our stance about the U.S. sanctions. We'll see the results of a statement to be made today,” Oktay said, referring to the sanctions re-imposed by the United States on Iran’s vital energy and banking sector.The United States said on Friday it will temporarily allow eight importers to keep buying Iranian oil when it re-imposes sanctions on Monday aimed at forcing Tehran to curb its nuclear, missile and regional activities.China, India, South Korea, Japan and Turkey - all top importers of Iranian oil - are among these eight countries expected to be given temporary exemptions from the sanctions to ensure crude oil prices are not destabilized.US ratchets up pressure on Iran with resumption of sanctionsRouhani says Iran to sell oil, break US sanctionsTurkey ‘will start discussing real problems in normalization process with US’Oktay also stated Turkey would begin discussing the thawing of ties with Washington.“We will start discussing real problems in the normalization process with the U.S. rather than artificial problems, because this is what allies do,” the Turkish vice president said.“Turkey's problem in relations with the U.S. were never about pastor Brunson. We did not have such a problem nor do we still think it is one,” he added, referring to American evangelical Christian pastor Andrew Brunson, who was detained in Turkey on terrorism charges. He was released last month.Turkey neutralizes 45 terrorists over past weekTurkey to eliminate all terror threats“The U.S. promised to eliminate the PKK/YPG in Syria’s Manbij but postponed the solution. Turkey does not have the tolerance to postpone it any further,” Oktay said.The Manbij deal between Turkey and the U.S. focuses on the withdrawal of YPG/PKK terrorists from the city to stabilize the region, which is in the northeast of Syria's Aleppo province.“Turkey won't tolerate any terrorist threat on its 911-kilometer long border [with Syria],” Oktay said.Syrian tribes call for boycott of YPG/PKK in Raqqa“Our fight on our borders will continue until the moment no element threatening Turkey is left,” he added.In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU -- has been responsible for the death of some 40,000 people, including those of women and children. The YPG is its Syrian branch.“Turkey will not allow any threats or any formations anywhere. Turkey has shown its determination and done what is necessary,” Oktay said.Erdoğan calls on terrorists to leave Syria's Manbij
Reports Khashoggi's body dissolved in acid must be
investigated: Turkish VP
The sons of slain journalist Jamal Khashoggi delivered an emotional appeal on Sunday asking for the return of their father's body in an interview with CNN.In their first interview since their father was murdered, Salah and Abdullah Khashoggi said that the past few weeks have been painful for them as they continue to wait for more information on the death of their father.Khashoggi, a Saudi national and columnist for The Washington Post, disappeared Oct. 2 after entering the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul to receive paperwork he needed to get married.Once inside, he was immediately strangled and then dismembered, according to the Istanbul Prosecutor’s office.Without having the body, their family is unable to properly have a funeral service and achieve closure, the two sons noted."All what we want right now is to bury him in Al-Baqi [cemetery] in Medina with the rest of his family," Salah told CNN.According to Salah and Abdullah, their father was being misinterpreted and misrepresented due to political reasons.In an interview with Jared Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law and Middle East adviser, and John Bolton, national security adviser, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called Khashoggi a sympathizer of the Muslim Brotherhood and a dangerous Islamist, however Khashoggi's sons pushed back on this."It's just labels and people not doing their homework properly, and reading his article and going in depth. It's easier to stick a label on him," Abdullah said in response to these claims."Jamal was never a dissident. He believed in the monarchy that it is the thing that is keeping the country together. And he believed in the transformation that it is going through," Salah said.As the eldest brother, Salah has been made the point person by Saudi authorities, and the strain of that along with receiving calls from all of Khashoggi's relatives shows in his deeply sunken eyes.Khashoggi's fiancee says killers must be brought to justiceErdoğan says top Saudi officials ordered Khashoggi hitNorway summoned Saudi ambassador over Khashoggi murderHowever, being the point person with the Saudi government has not given Salah any more information than the rest of the world."Our source is the same source that you have. It is a mystery. This is putting a lot of burden on us -- all of us. That everybody is seeking for information just as we do. They think that we have answers, and unfortunately we don't," Salah said.The younger sibling Abdullah, who lives in the United Arab Emirates, said he was the last child of Khashoggi to see him alive. He went to Turkey in September to visit him and his fiancee Hatice Cengiz."He was happy. It was a very good opportunity for me to see him. We hung out in Istanbul, we had fun," Abdullah said. "I was really lucky to have last moment with him. I feel very grateful."The death of Khashoggi was an unusual one, and with that the brothers are facing not only grief but also confusion."It's difficult, it's not easy. Especially when the story gets this big. It's not easy, it's confusing. Even the way we grieve, it's a bit confusing," Abdullah said. "We're trying to be emotional and at the same time we're trying to get the story -- bits and pieces of the story to complete the whole picture. It's confusing and difficult. It's not a normal situation and not a normal death.""I still can't believe he is dead. It's not sinking in with me emotionally," Salah added. "The emotional burden that is coming with the puzzle, is really big."Salah said he was waiting for the investigation to be concluded and for the truth to come out, and believed in Saudi King Salman bin Abdelaziz."The King has stressed that everybody involved will be brought to justice. And I have faith in that. This will happen. Otherwise Saudi wouldn't have started an internal investigation," Salah said.Turkey praised for handling of Khashoggi affairUS mourners gather at service for Jamal KhashoggiAmnesty places Khashoggi sign outside Saudi embassy in UK
Khashoggi's sons plead for father's body return