Saudi Arabia will prosecute the suspects in the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Riyadh’s foreign minister said Saturday in response to a call by Turkey for their extradition.
“On the issue of extradition, the individuals are Saudi nationals. They’re detained in Saudi Arabia, and the investigation is in Saudi Arabia, and they will be prosecuted in Saudi Arabia,” Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said at a regional defence forum in the Bahraini capital.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday called for the extradition of the 18 Saudi nationals who authorities say were involved in the murder of Khashoggi who was killed in his country’s consulate in Istanbul this month.
Riyadh has admitted Khashoggi’s murder had been “premeditated” but denied the involvement of the kingdom’s powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
“We will overcome it,” Jubeir told the defence forum.
“The issue, as I said, is being investigated. We will know the truth. We will hold those responsible accountable. And we will put in place mechanisms to ensure it doesn’t happen again.”
Khashoggi was least seen entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2 to complete paperwork for his wedding to his Turkish fiancee, Hatice Cengiz.
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