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22-05-2020
RIYADH/ WASHINGTON/ ISTANBUL: The family of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi who was killed in October 2018 when he visited the country’s consulate in Istanbul said on Friday that they had forgiven those who murdered their father, his son Salah wrote in a tweet.
“In this blessed night of the blessed month (of Ramadan) we remember God’s saying: If a person forgives and makes reconciliation, his reward is due from Allah.”
“Therefore, we the sons of the Martyr Jamal Khashoggi announce that we pardon those who killed our father, seeking reward God almighty” he added.
Khashoggi was last seen at Saudi Arabia’s Istanbul consulate on October 2, 2018, where he had gone to get the necessary documents for his wedding. His body was reportedly dismembered and removed from the building and his remains have not been found.
The murder caused a global uproar. Some Western governments, as well as the CIA, said they believed Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) (MBS) ordered the killing.
Saudi officials say he had no role, although in September 2019 MBS indicated some personal accountability, saying the grisly killing “happened under my watch”.
Saudi Arabia sentenced five people to death and three to jail over Khashoggi’s murder last December. The suspects were put on trial in secretive proceedings in the capital Riyadh.
The trials were condemned by the United Nations and rights groups. UN Special Rapporteur for extrajudicial summary or arbitrary executions Agnes Callamard accused Saudi Arabia of making a “mockery” of justice by allowing the masterminds of the 2018 killing to go free.
However, Salah Khashoggi said of the December verdict: “It has been fair to us and that justice has been achieved.”
