Al Jubeir: UN’s Khashoggi report unfounded

Riyadh: Saudi Arabia Wednesday said a report by a UN investigator on the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi last year was full of baseless allegations.

“The report of the rapporteur at the [UN] Human Rights Council includes clear contradictions and baseless allegations that strike at its credibility,” Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al Jubeir said.

He added that the Saudi courts are independently handling the case, saying the kingdom’s sovereignty over the case is not a matter of bargaining. “The current trials in the case of the citizen Jamal Khashoggi are attended by representatives of the embassies of the five permanent member countries at the Security Council, in addition to Turkey and Saudi rights organisations,” Al Jubeir said.

“We strongly reject any attempt to touch the kingdom’s leadership, push the case out of the track of justice in the kingdom, or affect it in any form,” he said in a string of tweets.

Saudi investigations and trial in the case are underway, the Saudi official said.

Khashoggi was killed last October in the Saudi consulate in Turkey, and Riyadh put 11 Saudi suspects on trial following the murder.