The fiancée of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi has said Saudi authorities are responsible for his murder, and the kingdom should give more details so that those who ordered and carried out the killing can be brought to justice, Reuters reports.
The death of Khashoggi - a Washington Post columnist and a critic of Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman - sparked global outrage and pitched the world’s top oil exporter into crisis.
When asked who was ultimately responsible for the killing, his fiancée, Hatice Cengiz, told Reuters in Turkish: “This took place inside a Saudi diplomatic mission ... In such circumstances, the Saudi Arabian authorities are responsible for this.”
“This incident, this assassination, took place in the Saudi consulate,” she said, speaking through a translator. “So the Saudi authorities probably know how such a murder took place.”
“They need to explain what happened,” said Cengiz, who was somber, guarded and appeared at times on the verge of tears.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said Prince Mohammed, who has consolidated control over Saudi security and intelligence agencies over the past three years, bore ultimate responsibility for the operation that led to Khashoggi’s killing.
When asked what she would say to Prince Mohammed if she ever got the chance to speak to him, she said: “I don’t think that will ever happen.”
Cengiz later told an audience she was disappointed with Trump’s response to the killing, suggesting U.S. business ties with Riyadh had influenced his approach to the case.