Six Years On: Khashoggi’s Murder Remains Unpunished, Global Outcry Persists

October 02, 2024 – Turkey/Saudi Arabia – 

Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi was brutally murdered inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul—lured for consular paperwork, strangled, and dismembered by a team of Saudi agents. Despite overwhelming international evidence, including U.S. and U.N. intelligence pointing to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s involvement, justice has remained elusive.

In 2019, Saudi Arabia quietly tried and convicted eight individuals—five sentenced to death (later pardoned) and three imprisoned—for the murder. However, the trial held behind closed doors failed to implicate any senior officials, igniting widespread concern that this was a staged display to protect the true perpetrators: the Saudi leadership.

Global watchdogs, including PEN America, Amnesty International, and the International Press Institute, have repeatedly denounced this outcome as a “mockery of justice.” Amnesty highlights an absence of any independent inquiry into the role of senior officials and full impunity for those who ordered the crime. PEN America emphasizes the broader chilling effect: Khashoggi’s murder was not just silencing one journalist—it set a dangerous precedent that emboldens governments worldwide to silence dissent without fear of punishment.

Khashoggi’s widow, Hanan Elatr Khashoggi, continues her relentless fight for accountability. Recently urging U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer to raise the case during talks with Saudi leaders, she pointed out the glaring absence of a full apology, compensation, or explanation from the kingdom.

Six years later, the state-sanctioned killing looms as emblematic of how authoritarian regimes can operate with impunity, shielded from accountability while global leaders pursue economic and political interests. U.S. decisions—such as granting the Crown Prince sovereign immunity and resuming arms deals—have further undermined the pursuit of justice.

Despite overwhelming evidence, the core architects of Khashoggi’s murder remain untouched by justice. His legacy endures as a symbol of the global struggle for press freedom. Without a transparent international inquiry and accountability for those at the very top, his assassination will remain a tragic testament to how power can override accountability, even at the highest levels.

Reference – 

https://www.npwj.org/press-release/six-years-of-impunity-for-jamal-khashoggis-murder/

Saudi Arabia: Still no justice for state-sanctioned murder of Jamal Khashoggi five years on

Six years on: Still no justice for Jamal Khashoggi – ipi.media