Saudi Arabia has admitted that Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi died inside their Istanbul embassy, but are claiming that he was killed in a fight.
Turkey’s foreign minister said “evidence” of Khashoggi’s killing would soon be released publicly.
The Saudi government had denied that Khashoggi was slaughtered and dismembered inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
Khashoggi entered the consulate on Oct. 2, looking for paperwork required to marry his Turkish fiancée.
Turkish authorities have said that audio exists of the 60-year-old’s horrifying final moments where Khashoggi was tortured and dismembered within minutes of entering the building. His fingers were cut off and he was beheaded as his fiancée waited outside.
Turkish officials said they were also looking at the possibility that the journalist may have been taken to a forest near Istanbul after he was killed inside the diplomatic mission.
However, growing global backlash and mounting pressure to explain what happened to Khashoggi prompted the elderly Saudi king to get involved in the situation.
The king has reportedly ordered a shakeup of the country’s intelligence service and fired a royal court adviser close to the crown prince, who is suspected to have ordered the assassination.
Saudi prosecutors said that 18 suspects have been detained in connection with the murder.
It’s sad how the 6 hit men will be blamed for murdering the journalist and will have to be publicly executed for carrying out orders given to them by their leaders.