Jamal Khashoggi Journalist, columnist and writer Date of Birth: 13.10.1958

1. Early Life and Education
2. Journalistic Career
3. Exile and Continued Criticism
4. Disappearance
5. Official Saudi Position and International Reaction
6. Acknowledgement of Death and Aftermath

Jamal Khashoggi: Journalist, Intellectual, and Victim of State-Sanctioned Killing

Early Life and Education

Jamal Khashoggi was a Saudi Arabian journalist, columnist, and author. He was the nephew of Saudi businessman Adnan Khashoggi and the cousin of Princess Diana's close friend Dodi Al-Fayed. Khashoggi earned a degree from Indiana State University in the United States in 1982.

Journalistic Career

Khashoggi worked for various Saudi publications, twice serving as editor-in-chief of the influential daily newspaper al-Watan. He gained prominence as a critic of both the US and Saudi authorities, including Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who served as the country's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense. He was outspoken in his criticism of the persecution of activists, Saudi involvement in the Yemen civil war, and Saudi policy towards Qatar.

Exile and Continued Criticism

In December 2016, Saudi authorities banned Khashoggi from practicing journalism due to his open criticism of Donald Trump. In September 2017, he went into self-imposed exile in the United States, where he wrote a column for The Washington Post. In this column, he became increasingly critical of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Disappearance

On October 2, 2018, Khashoggi visited the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul to obtain a document needed for his planned remarriage. His fiancée, Hatice Cengiz, was denied entry. She waited for Khashoggi until midnight, but he never emerged from the consulate.

Turkish police alleged that Khashoggi was "brutally tortured, murdered and dismembered" inside the consulate. Later, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's adviser Yasin Aktay, police officials, and EU Affairs Minister Omer Celik stated that 15 Saudi agents were involved in the operation to eliminate Khashoggi. Khashoggi allegedly wore a smartwatch that transmitted an audio recording to the cloud, which corroborated his murder.

Official Saudi Position and International Reaction

Saudi authorities initially maintained that Khashoggi had left the consulate quickly. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman asserted in an interview with Bloomberg on October 5, 2018, that Khashoggi "came out after a few minutes or an hour." The US State Department and the Turkish Foreign Ministry expressed concern over Khashoggi's disappearance and urged Saudi Arabia to cooperate in determining his whereabouts.

Acknowledgement of Death and Aftermath

Eighteen days after Khashoggi's disappearance, Saudi authorities announced through their state news agency that he had died in a "brawl" with individuals he met at the consulate. The prosecutor's office also announced the arrest of 18 Saudi nationals who attempted to "cover up what happened." Simultaneously, the Saudi king signed decrees dismissing senior officials of the General Intelligence Presidency and establishing a special committee to reform it and define its mandate.

The widespread suspicion that Khashoggi was assassinated on consulate grounds strained relations between Saudi Arabia and Turkey, the US, and other countries.