Voice of America
04 Jul 2020, 05:05 GMT+10
A trial of those charged in the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi opened Friday in Turkey, but none of the 20 Saudi nationals accused in the killing were in attendance.
The fiancee of Khashoggi, Hatice Cengiz, told the court in Istanbul that the accused used "great betrayal and deception" to lure the journalist to his death at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.
Cengiz told reporters outside the courthouse that "we will continue seeking justice not just in Turkey but everywhere we can."
Khashoggi, who was a U.S. resident, went to the consulate in 2018 to pick up documents that would allow him to marry Cengiz, who is Turkish. He was killed inside the consulate while Cengiz waited outside, sparking global outrage.
The journalist, who wrote columns for The Washington Post, was a prominent critic of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The 20 defendants, including two former aides of the crown prince, have all returned to Saudi Arabia. Riyadh has rejected Turkey's request for their extradition.
Some of the men have been tried in Saudi Arabia behind closed doors.
Turkish prosecutors allege the men were sent to Turkey from Riyadh to confront Khashoggi.
Rogue operatives blamed
Saudi Arabia has given varying accounts of Khashoggi's disappearance, eventually saying the killing was the work of rogue operatives.
The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency has concluded with "medium to high confidence" that Crown Prince Mohammed ordered the killing. The crown prince denies he was involved.
The remains of Khashoggi have not been found. Turkish and Saudi prosecutors allege the Saudi agents dismembered his body after the killing.
A handyman at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, Zeki Demir, told the Turkish court Friday that he had been asked to light a tandoor oven less than one hour after Khashoggi entered the building. He described the Saudi agents as having an "air of panic."
The trial was adjourned Friday until November 24.
Get a daily dose of Iraq Sun news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Iraq Sun.
More InformationDHARAMSHALA, India: The Dalai Lama turned 90 on July 6, celebrated by thousands of followers in the Himalayan town of Dharamshala,...
ZAGREB, Croatia: A massive concert by popular Croatian singer Marko Perković, known by his stage name Thompson, has drawn widespread...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Elon Musk's entry into the political arena is drawing pushback from top U.S. officials and investors, as his decision...
CULVER CITY, California: TikTok is preparing to roll out a separate version of its app for U.S. users, as efforts to secure a sale...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: President Donald Trump claimed he was unaware that the term shylock is regarded as antisemitic when he used it in...
PARIS, France: A strike by French air traffic controllers demanding improved working conditions caused significant disruptions during...
DUBAI, U.A.E.: Saudi Aramco is exploring asset sales as part of a broader push to unlock capital, with gas-fired power plants among...
CAIRO, Egypt: This week, both Hamas and Israel shared their views ahead of expected peace talks about a new U.S.-backed ceasefire plan....
Tel Aviv [Israel], July 9 (ANI/TPS): Israel's Ministry of Construction and Housing is promoting a new government plan to regulate the...
(Photo credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images) Tundra Esports, Aurora Gaming, PARIVISION and Team Liquid each pulled out 2-0 victories...
BRICS moves to expand Global South cooperation for inclusive, sustainable global governance Leaders of BRICS countries, gathering...
MANAMA, 9th July, 2025 (WAM) - The Kingdom of Bahrain today expressed its welcome and appreciation for the efforts of the United Arab...