Saudi court overturns death sentences in Khashoggi murder

JEDDAH: A Saudi court today (Monday) has overturned five death sentences over the 2018 murder of Jamal Khashoggi, in what the prosecutors said was a ‘final’ ruling in the case.

According to Saudi state media, the court also handed 20-year sentences to five people and three others were sentenced to between seven to 10 years. None of the defendants were named in the final court ruling on the killing which had sparked an international outcry.

The verdict came after Khashoggi’s sons said in May they had pardoned the killers, a move condemned as a parody of justice by a United Nations expert. The family’s pardon spared the lives of five unnamed people sentenced to death, which was lambasted by human rights groups.

Khashoggi went missing on October 2, 2018, while visiting the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Later, the Turkish authorities revealed he was murdered inside the consulate by a Saudi assassination team.

Turkish officials informed that Khashoggi was strangled and his body cut into pieces by a 15-man Saudi squad inside the consulate. His remains have not been found.

Riyadh has described the murder as a rogue operation, but both the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and a UN’s special envoy have directly linked Prince Mohammed to the killing, a charge the kingdom vehemently denies.