Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called the son of Jamal Khashoggi, the kingdom announced early on Monday, to express condolences for the death of the journalist killed at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul by a group officials that allegedly included a member of the royal’s entourage.
King Salman similarly made a condolence call as international pressure on the kingdom continues to rise, even after it acknowledged on Saturday that The Washington Post journalist was killed October 2 at the consulate under still-disputed circumstances.
Saudi Arabia’s explanation that Khashoggi was killed in a “fistfight” and 18 Saudis have been detained has been met with international scepticism and allegations of a cover-up designed to absolve Prince Mohammed of direct responsibility. Turkish media reports and officials say a 15-member Saudi team flew to Istanbul, waited for Khashoggi at the consulate and then cut off his fingers, before killing and dismembering him.
The state-run Saudi Press Agency announced the calls to Mr. Khashoggi’s son, Salah, early on Monday morning. Statements from the agency said both King Salman and Prince Mohammed express their condolences for his father’s death.
‘Travel ban on son’
A Saudi friend of Khashoggi — who was in frequent touch with him before his death — said that Khashoggi’s son, Salah, has been under a travel ban and barred from leaving the kingdom since last year as a result of his father’s criticism of the government.
The calls come after a leaked photograph, apparently taken from surveillance footage, showed Maher Abdulaziz Mutreb, a member of Prince Mohammed’s entourage on foreign trips, at the consulate, just ahead of Khashoggi’s arrival. Mr. Mutreb’s name also matches that of a first secretary who once served as a diplomat at the Saudi Embassy in London, according to a 2007 list compiled by the British Foreign Office.
Saudi Arabia so far has not acknowledged or explained Mr. Mutreb’s presence in Istanbul nor that of a forensics and autopsy expert, also on hand for Khashoggi’s arrival at the consulate.
More people summoned
Istanbul’s chief prosecutor summoned 28 more staff members of the Saudi Consulate, including Turkish citizens and foreign nationals, to give testimony on Monday, Turkish state broadcaster TRT reported. Prosecutors have previously questioned consulate staff; some Turkish employees reportedly said they were instructed not to go to work around the time that Khashoggi disappeared. Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said on Fox News on Sunday that Khashoggi’s killing was “a rogue operation” and that “we don’t know where the body is’.”
Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said on Saturday on that he believed Prince Mohammed, the heir-apparent of the world’s largest oil exporter, was behind the killing. The Crown Prince has “now crossed a line and there has to be a punishment and a price paid for that,” said Mr. Corker said.
California Rep. Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House intelligence committee, said on that the killing should be a “relationship-altering” event .
