Saudi Arabia said Thursday it will seek the death penalty for five suspects among 11 charged in the killing of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
The kingdom's public prosecutor made the announcement in a press conference in Riyadh.
Saud Al-Mojeb said the most senior official behind Khashoggi’s murder in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2. is Ahmad al-Assiri, a former deputy intelligence chief.
Al-Assiri was arrested and fired for ordering Khashoggi's forced return to Saudi Arabia, an operation that Riyadh has tried to characterize as a botched rendition by rogue operatives. Al-Mojeb did not say whether Al-Assiri was facing the death penalty. He said 21 people are in custody and 11 have been indicted in connection with the case.
Turkey says it has audio evidence that proves the Washington Post columnist's murder was sanctioned at the highest level in Saudi Arabia, likely in coordination with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the nation's de facto ruler and a close U.S. ally.
On Monday, Canada's Justin Trudeau became the first western leader to confirm that Turkey has shared this evidence with other countries' intelligence agencies. President Donald Trump has acknowledged its existence but has not said whether he's heard it.
The recording was shared last month with the C.I.A. Director Gina Haspel.
More: White House aide Bolton says Jamal Khashoggi audio doesn't implicate Saudi crown prince MBS
However, Al-Mojeb did not address that, and only requested that Turkish authorities release additional information about their investigation. He said Khashoggi's murderers drugged and killed the writer inside the consulate before dismembering the body and handing it over for disposal by an unidentified local collaborator.
Following Al-Mojeb's remarks, Turkey released a statement urging Saudi Arabia to reveal who ordered Khashoggi's killing. It also called the prosecutor's comments "unsatisfactory" and insisted that the suspects be extradited to Turkey for trial.
Khashoggi's remains are unaccounted for more than a month after he entered the consulate to obtain legal documents needed to marry his Turkish fiancee.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said he has pressed the Saudis for answers over the case and told Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in a phone call that "the United States will hold all of those involved in the killing of Jamal Khashoggi accountable." The Trump administration has also appeared intent on preserving its relationship with Saudi Arabia's leadership despite the affair.
More: Report: Saudis discussed killing other enemies long before Khashoggi's death
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