Turkey discontented with sentences in Khashoggi murder case: Presidential Spokesman
Sep 08, 2020
Ankara [Turkey], September 8 (ANI/Sputnik): Turkey is dissatisfied with the sentences in the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi's murder case, presidential communications director Fahrettin Altun said.
A spokesperson for the Saudi Public Prosecution's Office said on Monday a Saudi court had announced sentences to eight suspects in the killing of Khashoggi. Five of them were given 20-year prison terms, one was sentenced to 10 years in prison, and two to seven years each.
"The final verdict that a Saudi court issued today regarding journalist Jamal Khashoggi's execution inside the Kingdom's consulate in Istanbul, Turkey fell short of meeting the expectations of Turkey and the international community," Altun wrote on Twitter.
"We still don't know what happened to Khashoggi's body, who wanted him dead or if there were local collaborators - which casts doubt on the credibility of the legal proceedings in KSA," he wrote.
Altun said Turkey was urging the Saudi authorities to cooperate with the ongoing murder investigation in Turkey.
"It is a legal and conscientious obligation to shed light on the Jamal Khashoggi murder, which was committed within Turkey's borders, and to deliver justice. That is the only way to ensure that similar atrocities can be prevented in the future," he said.
Khashoggi, a columnist for the Washington Post, went missing in October 2018 after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Riyadh initially denied any knowledge of his whereabouts but eventually admitted that Khashoggi had been killed and dismembered inside the embassy.
The Saudi monarchy has denied any role in the journalist's death. In December 2019, a Saudi court sentenced five suspects in the murder to death and jailed another three for a total of 24 years in a trial. (ANI/Sputnik)
