Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi speaks during a news conference in Manama, Bahrain, on Feb. 1, 2015. (Hasan Jamali/AP)
On Tuesday, one of Saudi Arabia’s best-known journalists went to pick up a form from the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. Jamal Khashoggi, a former royal court insider who went on to become a prominent critic of the kingdom’s rulers, had left the country last year after signs that the Saudi leadership was growing increasingly intolerant of dissent.
His fiancee waited for four hours outside the consulate, but he never reemerged.
Now, The Washington Post is reporting that, according to people with knowledge of Turkey’s investigation into Khashoggi’s disappearance, a specially trained team of 15 from Saudi Arabia had traveled to Turkey to kill Khashoggi in the consulate.
In the hours since the unconfirmed reports of Khashoggi’s death, friends and admirers have paid tribute and expressed fervent hope that the reports may yet prove untrue. In the United States, there have been calls for a thorough investigation. Among Saudis on social media, there’s disbelief, skepticism and some speculation that this is all part of some conspiracy by Qatar, which is a rival of Saudi Arabia.
On Twitter, Khashoggi’s fiancee wrote, “Jamal is not dead. I cannot believe that he has been killed . . .!” according to the BBC.
Media freedom organizations and human rights groups have demanded information on his whereabouts. One friend, who has known Khashoggi for 16 years, paid tribute to him in Al Jazeera, writing, “He is a good man and a fine journalist. His is a voice of reasoned criticism and wise comment that the Saudi crown prince should listen to.”
Sarah Leah Whitson, executive director of Human Rights Watch’s Middle East and North Africa Division, wrote that the disappearance is a dark warning to Saudis from their rulers.
Several U.S. politicians also have spoken out, including Sen. Christopher A. Coons (D-Del.), Rep. Ted Deutch (D-Fla.) and Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), who said he has been in touch with the State Department.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) called for an investigation into what she called a “gross violation of human rights.” The State Department said it was investigating.
Sen. Bob Corker, who chairs the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, said he met personally with the Saudi ambassador to the United States to ask him about Khashoggi’s whereabouts. He has also asked the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul to hand over video footage, according to Politico.
And several prominent journalists expressed horror:
Credit:Washington Post
via USAHint.com
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