Khashoggi killing: ‘Credible evidence’ Saudi crown prince responsible, UN expert says
CNNCNN — There is “sufficient credible evidence” Saudi Arabia’s crown prince bears responsibility for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and he should be investigated for it, a United Nations special rapporteur said in the first independent investigation into the death. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and his personal assets abroad should be hit by “targeted sanctions,” the report recommends, “until and unless evidence is provided and corroborated that he carries no responsibilities for this execution.” A prominent writer and Washington Post columnist, Khashoggi died after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October 2018. Callamard also says that current international sanctions against some senior Saudi officials do not go far enough, failing to address the top of the kingdom’s “chain of command.” These sanctions “fail to correspond to the gravity of the crime or to the fact that the State of Saudi Arabia is ultimately responsible for the violation of Mr. Khashoggi’s right to life,” she added. Bin Salman’s “Davos in the Desert” summit weeks after the Khashoggi killing was a failure after many high profile guests pulled out, and investment in the Kingdom has also suffered since Khashoggi’s killing, at a time when the Crown Prince is desperately trying to get foreign backing for his Vision 2030 plan.