Saudi State TV Confirms Jamal Khashoggi Was Killed in Consulate
CONFIRMED
In “a fistfight that led to his death” inside Istanbul's Saudi Arabian consulate.
Mohammed Al-Shaikh/Getty
Saudi Arabian state television announced on Friday that Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi is dead, CNN reports. The state TV report claimed that an “argument and physical altercation” led to Khashoggi's death inside the consulate. Eighteen Saudis have reportedly been arrested and are being investigated in connection with the case. BBC News reports deputy intelligence chief Gen. Ahmed al-Asiri and Saud al-Qahtani, senior aide to Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, were dismissed. Saudi Arabia's King Salman has also reportedly ordered a “ministerial committee” to form to “restructure the intelligence services” under the leadership of Prince Mohammed. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the United States would “advocate for justice that is timely, transparent, and in accordance with all due process.” “We are saddened to hear confirmation of Mr. Khashoggi’s death, and we offer our deepest condolences to his family, fiancée, and friends,” she wrote in a statement. Khashoggi disappeared after he entered the consulate earlier this month. While Turkish intelligence reportedly indicated that Khashoggi had been beheaded and dismembered inside the consulate, the Saudis had previously denied having anything to do with his disappearance or death.
