Britain asks Saudis to explain what happened to missing journalist

Human rights activists hold pictures of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi during a protest outside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, Turkey October 9, 2018. REUTERS/Osman Orsal

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's foreign minister Jeremy Hunt called on Saudi Arabia to explain what happened to the journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who has been missing since he visited the Saudi consulate in Istanbul last week.

The disappearance of Khashoggi, previously a prominent newspaper editor in Saudi Arabia and an adviser to its former head of intelligence, has sparked global concern.

"Just met the Saudi ambassador to seek urgent answers over Jamal Khashoggi," Hunt said on Twitter on Tuesday.

"Violence against journalists worldwide is going up and is a grave threat to freedom of expression. If media reports prove correct, we will treat the incident seriously - friendships depend on shared values."

(Reporting By Andrew MacAskill; editing by Stephen Addison)

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