A court in Saudi Arabia sentenced five people to death Monday for “committing and directly participating” in the murderof Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul last year.
Three others were sentenced to a collective total of 24 years in prison for their “role in covering up” the killing, Saudi Arabia’s public prosecutor said in a statement posted by the Foreign Ministry on Twitter.
“May his soul rest in peace,” the statement added.
The investigation concluded that the murder had been a mistake and that the perpetrators agreed to kill the journalist when they found it would be too hard to move him to another location, deputy public prosecutor, Shaalan al-Shaalan, said in a press conference carried by state television.
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He said that the crown prince’s former top adviser, Saud al-Qahtani, was questioned, tried but not convicted. Ahmed Asiri, the former deputy head of Saudi intelligence, was released due to a lack of evidence.
The court was withholding names of the accused until all appeals were exhausted.
Al-Shaalanadded Monday that Khashoggi’s family was allowed to attend. Members of the United Nations security council and human rights representatives also attended, he added. NBC News could not independently verify these claims.
The trials were carried out in near total secrecy, but in response to a question Monday about why the media was unable to attend, Al-Shaalan said press coverage had been permitted. He did not offer any explanation for the discrepancy in account.
Khashoggi, a permanent U.S. resident and a vocal critic of Salman, was murdered and dismembered Oct. 2, 2018, in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
His killing and the botched Saudi response triggered a wave of revulsion and anger around the world that appeared to catch the kingdom’s officials by surprise.
The United Nations extrajudicial executions investigator, Agnes Callamard, concluded in June that there was “credible evidence” that high-level Saudi officials, including powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, could be liable for Khashoggi’s killing. Callamard called on U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to “demand” a follow-up criminal investigation.
Saudi Arabia has repeatedly said it was a domestic issue.
On Monday, Calllamard tweeted that “the travesty of investigation, prosecution and justice continues.”
The CIA has concluded that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered Khashoggi’s killing. The claim has been resolutely rejected by Riyadh.
President Donald Trump condemned the killing, and the U.S. sanctioned 17 Saudis suspected of being involved, though not the crown prince. But his administration has faced criticism for its defense of the U.S.-Saudi relationship. The absolute monarchy is a longtime U.S. ally, but under Trump, King Salman and his son, the crown prince, have become linchpins of American policy in the region.
Tony Brown contributed.