Riyadh rejects internationalisation of Khashoggi case
Al Jubeir: Investigation still open in order to have all answers
Manama: Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al Jubeir said the kingdom rejects internationalisation of the Khashoggi case, stressing the kingdom has an effective judicial system.
Al Jubeir said during a press conference the kingdom has been subjected to ferocious, senseless and baseless attacks over the case.
He said there is a difference between imposing sanctions on the accused and holding Saudi Arabia accountable.
The minister added the public prosecutor was still seeking answers to several questions and queries related to the case.
Saudi authorities are communicating with their Turkish counterparts and the Saudi public prosecutor is still waiting for more evidence from them.
The Saudi minister insisted the Saudi directives have been clear since the beginning to hold anyone involved in the killing accountable, but warned that the politicisation of the case contributed to divisions in the Muslim world.
The probe in the case has developed as more details were uncovered, he said, adding that the victim and the accused were Saudis and the crime committed on Saudi property.
“Absolutely,” Al Jubeir said whether the investigation exonerated Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman, clearly rejecting all attempts to link him to the killing.
Salah, the son of Saudi slain journalist Jamal Khashoggi, said the family would receive condolences from people on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at his home in Jeddah.
“From God we come and unto God we return. The condolences for Jamal Khashoggi will be held from Friday to Sunday at his home in Jeddah. May God have mercy on you and grant us fortitude to bear the loss,” Salah posted on his Twitter account.
US sanctions 17 officials
The US Treasury Department on Thursday sanctioned 17 Saudi Arabian officials amid controversy over the kingdom's role in the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.
The department didn't immediately release the reason for the sanctions, though US lawmakers in recent weeks have increased their demands for punitive measures for the killing.
The sanctioned individuals include Saud al-Qahtani, a senior Saudi government official, according to a statement posted on Treasury's website that did not offer further explanation why the individuals were sanctioned. A Treasury spokesman didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.