US forces Riyadh to release Jamal Khashoggi’s son
Saudi Arabia has begun a carefully orchestrated admission to the murder of Jamal Khashoggi inside its Istanbul consulate.
Saudi Arabia has begun a carefully orchestrated admission to the torture and murder of Jamal Khashoggi inside its Istanbul consulate, with Western allies applying pressure for further action against those responsible.
The US has also been able to pressure the Saudis to lift a travel ban on Khashoggi’s son Saleh, who fled with his family on a flight to Washington yesterday. This week, Saleh had been photographed uncomfortably shaking the hand of Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman in the royal palace.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo discussed Salah Khashoggi’s status during his visit last week to Saudi Arabia. State Department spokesman Robert Palladino said Mr Pompeo made it clear to Saudi leaders that he wanted Salah Khashoggi to leave for the US, adding “we are pleased that he is now able to do so’’.
This comes as the UN rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions said Khashoggi’s death bears the hallmark of an extrajudicial execution, and those who orchestrated his murder “are high enough to represent the state”.
The Saudis, through the public prosecutor, said that “information received from Turkish authorities indicated the Khashoggi killing was premeditated’’, just hours before Donald Trump was briefed by CIA director Gina Haspel on the contents of a tape recording of Khashoggi’s death.
The tape is purported to have captured the 59-year-old being tortured, with his fingers cut off and then his body hacked into pieces by Saudi forensic chief Salah al-Tubaigy, who turned up the music on his headphones to drown out the noise of a bone saw.
As the tape’s contents were shared with its most important trading partner, Saudi Arabia is belatedly trying to restore trust. The crown prince, armed with his weapons-buying billions, who detained Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri and locked up scores of rivals last year, may have felt impervious to the Khashoggi outrage. But the manner of the murder and Saudi Arabia’s obfuscation has had an immediate impact, increasing investment flows out of the country.
New York City’s chief pension fund official, Scott Stringer, warned market index providers about adding Saudi Arabia to emerging markets products, Reuters reported. “Saudi Arabia has demonstrated a disdain for the rule of law and international norms of due process and human rights,” creating risks for investors, he wrote.
After three weeks of lies, Riyadh looks to take the Turkish investigation seriously following a phone call between King Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. “Information from the Turkish side affirms that the suspects in Khashoggi’s case premeditated their crime,’’ the prosector announced to the Saudi media, overturning the earlier explanation that the death was caused by a fight. In the days after the October 2 disappearance, Mohammad had claimed Khashoggi left the consulate freely.
The Saudi concessions appear to be the beginning of steps to appease the West, including Turkey, which has called for those responsible to face criminal charges.
However, Saudi Arabia continues to ring fence Mohammed, who denies any knowledge of the plot, instead laying the blame on his rogue members of his entourage. Saudi Arabia has detained the 15-man hit squad and three people who worked inside the consulate, and stood down several members of the intelligence arm who were advisers to Mohammed.
The Saudi Press Agency reported Mohammed chaired the first meeting to reform the state’s intelligence services.
Saudi officials have denounced statements accusing it of carrying out a state sponsored execution. Agnes Callamard, the UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions told Al Jazeera: “What we know is sufficient to suggest very strongly that Mr Khashoggi was the victim of an extrajudicial execution.
“First, we know that killing was in the consulate, which is representative of the state of Saudi Arabia. Second, the individuals present at the time of the disappearance and the alleged killing were representatives of the state.
“Subsequently, over the last few days at least, Saudi authorities have recognised individuals at the highest levels of the structures of authority of being involved in the disappearance and the killing.
“All of these elements indicate that the disappearance and now killing of Jamal Khashoggi bear the hallmark of an extrajudicial execution.”
But Saudi Arabia’s representative at the UN, Faisal Fahad, said: “My delegation would like to denounce the statement by the special rapporteur. We call on her not to exceed her mandate on extrajudicial executions. Kindly do not give us any personal opinions.”
UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres requires a referral from the UN Security Council or the General Assembly to launch an investigation.
Women egged in anti-Semitic attack at Bondi Beach
Three men allegedly set upon a number of women on Saturday night in Sydney's east, throwing eggs at them, with police believing they were targeted because of the clothes they were wearing.
‘Hunted down and locked up’: PM condemns latest anti-Semitic attack
Anthony Albanese has condemned a spate of anti-Semitic hate crimes which has culminated in the discovery of a caravan packed with explosives outside Sydney, declaring the perpetrators 'would not succeed' creating hate and division.