12 July 2020; MEMO: A UN official has said that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) was a prime suspect in the case of the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul in 2018, reports Anadolu Agency.
In an interview with Anadolu Agency, the UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Execution Agnes Callamard said even though she does not have evidence against the MBS, but in terms of ordering and inciting the killing, he is a prime suspect.
"Look, I think he is a prime suspect in terms of determining who ordered or who incited the killing. He is in the picture. Personally, I do not have the evidence pointing to him as having ordered the crime", said Callamard, who is also a noted human rights lawyer.
She said that circumstantial evidence suggests that a crime of that nature could not have taken place without the contribution of MBS.
“I believe that according to the information that was provided more than a year ago, the CIA [Central Intelligence Agency] may have this information, “she said.
She noted that Turkey’s trial is being held “in absentia” because everyone knew that Saudi Arabia will not allow the defendants to face trial in Turkey.
“Nevertheless, I think it is important. I want to note that the defendants are represented, that they have been assigned state-assigned lawyers,” she said.
Callamard described the trial in Turkey fairer than the one conducted in Saudi Arabia.
A Turkish court on July 3 began the trial of the case, listing the 20 Saudi nationals as accused in the 2018 killing of Khashoggi.
He was killed and dismembered by a group of Saudi operatives shortly after he entered the Saudi Consulate. His body was never found.
