'Unjustified': Saudi Arabia 'completely rejects' US assessment on Khashoggi's murder

Saudi Arabia on February 26 said that it “completely rejects” the United States’ report implicating Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman for approving the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. In a statement, the foreign ministry called the assessment negative, false and unacceptable, and further added that it contained inaccurate information and conclusions. It is worth noting that the report- ‘Assessing the Saudi Government Role in the Killing of Jamal Khashoggi’ - said that Prince MBS “approved” an operation to “capture or kill” the Saudi journalist, who was murdered in 2018. 

The Saudi foreign ministry, however, reiterated that the crime was committed by a group of individuals that have transgressed all pertinent regulations and authorities of the agencies where they were employed. The officials said that the Kingdom had taken all possible measures with the legal system to ensure that the individuals were properly investigated, and to ensure that justice was served. The Saudi authorities have blamed the killing on a “rogue operation” by a team of agents sent to return the journalist to the kingdom. A Saudi court had tried and sentenced five individuals to 20 years in prison, after initially sentencing them to death. 

The Saudi foreign ministry said, “It is truly unfortunate that this report, with its unjustified and inaccurate conclusions, is issued while the Kingdom had clearly denounced this heinous crime, and the Kingdom's leadership took the necessary steps to ensure that such a tragedy never takes place again. The Kingdom rejects any measure that infringes upon its leadership, sovereignty, and the independence of its judicial system”. 

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US report on Khashoggi murder 

Meanwhile, on Friday, the US’ Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) released the report which said that Crown Prince MBS approved the operation to capture or kill the Saudi journalist. The ODNI said that they based the assessment on the Crown Prince’s control of decisionmaking in the Kingdom, the direct involvement of a key adviser and members of Muhammad bin Salman’s protective detail in the operation. The report further even added that the Crown Prince’s “support” for using violent measures to silence dissidents abroad is also the reason to believe that he had approved the operation.

Further, the report went on to name individuals allegedly complicit in, or responsible for, Khashoggi’s death. However, it added that the US doesn’t know how far in advance those involved planned to harm him. The US officials said that the Crown Prince’s “absolute control” of the Kingdom’s intelligence organisations would make it highly unlikely that such an operation could have been carried out without his authorisation. 

(With inputs from ANI)

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