It was 1.02pm on October 2nd last year, and Jamal Khashoggi was about to enter the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Inside, according to subsequent analysis of a recording by Turkish intelligence services, two Saudi officials – a spy and a forensics specialist – were discussing logistics. Pointing to the involvement of several senior Saudi officials, including the consul general, Callamard concludes that there is credible evidence, warranting further investigation, of high-level Saudi officials’ individual liability, including that of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. In the immediate aftermath of Khashoggi’s murder, world opinion seemed to be turning on Crown Prince Mohammed, the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia. But justice demands that the Saudi leadership be held accountable, and that those who ordered and carried out the killing of Jamal Khashoggi pay for their crime.

Source: The Irish Times June 20, 2019 18:56 UTC