Jamal Khashoggi death: everything known so far about killing of dissident Saudi journalist

Tom Herbert23 October 2018

Since Jamal Khashoggi's disappearance two weeks ago, Saudia Arabia has provided conflicting reports of what happened to the journalist.

Mr Khashoggi was last seen by his fiancee entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2, where he had gone to get marriage documents.

Hatice Cengiz says she was outside and waited hours for him to leave, before alerting the authorities after he did not emerge.

Saudi Arabia initially denied any knowledge of Mr Khashoggi's whereabouts and said they had nothing to do with his disappearance, but have changed their story since.

Earlier today, it was reported that "cut up" remains were found during the search for Mr Kashoggi in the garden of the Saudi consul general's home in Istanbul.

CCTV image purportedly showing Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul
AP

Here's what we know so far.

At first, Saudi Arabia had maintained Mr Khashoggi was still alive and strenuously denied allegations he was murdered and his body cut up, describing the accusations as "baseless".

They dismissed accusations he was murdered by a hit squad inside the country's consulate in Istanbul as "lies" and insisted they had nothing to do with his disappearance.

But they did not provide an explanation as to how the writer disappeared on October 2.

Donald Trump appeared to move to the defence of Saudi Arabia and said it was being treated as "guilty until proven innocent".

But on Saturday the Gulf kingdom said that Mr Kashoggi, who was a Washington Post columnist and critic of the Saudi royal family, had died in Istanbul.

Officials admitted its agents had killed Mr Khashoggi after he entered the consulate and said he died after a "fist fight".

The kingdom's announcement was met with international scepticism and allegations of a cover-up to absolve the 33-year-old crown prince of direct responsibility.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan alleged that Saudi officials started planning to murder Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi days before his death 
AP

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the claim he died in a fight was "not credible", while Theresa May said "we must get to the truth of what happened".

Trump also said he was "not satisfied" with Saudi Arabia's account of the journalist's death and both the UN and EU called for an investigation.

On Monday, the state's foreign minister Adel al-Jubeir said Mr Khashoggi was murdered and blamed it on a "rogue operation".

But he said Saudi Arabia did not know the whereabouts of the columnist's remains and added that conflicting reports of whether the journalist left for Istanbul had prompted a Saudi probe.

A video was released yesterday which appeared to show a body double wearing Mr Khashoggi's clothes walking out of the building where he was last seen.

It sparked accusations of an extraordinary cover up by a Saudi death squad as the man was spotted leaving the Saudi consulate wearing Mr Khashoggi’s clothes, a fake beard, and glasses.

Jamal Khashoggi, left, seen entering the Saudi consulate, and right - a man said to be a Saudi operative wearing a fake beard, glasses and the dissident's suit

Turkish newspaper Yeni Safak reported last week that Saudi officials cut off Khashoggi's fingers and then decapitated him at the consulate as his fiancée waited outside.

President Recep Tayip Erdogan on Tuesday said evidence suggested that the dissident journalist "was the victim of a very cruel murder."

Turkish government sources have claimed that Mr Khashoggi was tortured and murdered by a hit squad flown in from Riyadh.

Earlier today the king of Saudi Arabia said they will hold to account those responsible for Khashoggi's death saying people "failed in their duties."

While the country's foreign minister said the investigation into the killing of Mr Khashoggi would produce the truth about what happened and that his country was committed to ensuring "that the investigation is thorough and complete and that those responsible will be held to account."

Today it was reported that Trump believes Mr Khashoggi's death was the result of a "plot gone awry" and that he would be "very upset" if it is proven Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was involved in the killing.

Barriers block the road leading to Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul
AP

Mr Hunt said "the world is still waiting for answers".

Earlier today, two separate "highly placed" sources said Mr Khashoggi's body had been found in the garden of the Saudi consul general's home.

Mr Khashoggi's face was said to have been "disfigured". The reports have not yet been confirmed.

A number of Saudi nationals have since been arrested, while deputy intelligence chief Ahmad al-Assiri and Saud al-Qahtani, a senior aide to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, have been dismissed, state TV reported.

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