The finding contradicts earlier assertions that Khashoggi’s death at Riyadh’s Turkish consulate was accidental. Saudi Arabia is attempting to distance the royal family from the journalist’s killing.
Saudi prosecutors said the alleged killers of Jamal Khashoggi acted intentionally, in comments published by Saudi news agency SPA.
The finding runs completely counter to earlier assertions that Khashoggi’s death at Riyadh’s Turkish consulate was accidental. Saudi officials initially claimed that Khashoggi had left the embassy safely.
“Information has come from the Turkish side indicating that the suspects in the Khashoggi case embarked on their act with a premeditated intention,” Saudi Attorney General Saud al-Mojeb said.
“The public prosecution continues its investigations with the accused in light of what it has received and the results of its inquiry,” he added
The admission came as Saudi Arabia attempted to distance Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman from the killing. The prince on Thursday chaired the first meeting of a committee to overhaul the general intelligence agency, SPA reported.
Salman called Khashoggi’s killing “heinous” and “painful to all Saudis” in his first public remarks on the incident on Wednesday.
At the weekend 18 Saudis were arrested, and four senior intelligence officials and a royal adviser were fired.
On Thursday news agency Reuters news agency and the Washington Post reported Turkey had shared audio recordings of the killing with CIA Director Gina Haspel, marking the first time Turkish investigators officially shared information with the US.
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