RT.com
17 May 2026, 06:52 GMT+10
Rights groups and a Biden-era US intelligence report alleged that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was behind the murder
France has opened an investigation into the murder of Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi after NGOs accused Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of complicity in the killing.
The 59-year-old journalist and Washington Post columnist was killed in 2018 while visiting the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. His body is believed to have been dismembered and was never recovered. Saudi authorities acknowledged that Khashoggi was killed inside the consulate but insisted that rogue officials carried out the operation without authorization from the leadership.
In July 2022, Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN) - Khashoggi's former organization - and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) filed a legal complaint accusing Mohammed bin Salman of complicity in torture and enforced disappearance as part of an organized group. The complaint alleged that he ordered "the murder by asphyxiation" of Khashoggi.
France's National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office (PNAT) opposed opening the investigation, a position criticized by RSF lawyer Emmanuel Daoud as "realpolitik in the name of France's superior economic interests so as not to anger the Saudi authorities."
The Paris Court of Appeal has now ruled that "the possibility that these acts could be classified as crimes against humanity cannot be ruled out."
"An investigating judge from the crimes against humanity unit will now examine the complaint," the prosecutor's office told AFP on Saturday.
Khashoggi once served as an adviser to the Saudi government and was close to the royal family before becoming a prominent critic of the kingdom's leadership and relocating to the US. Saudi prosecutors said the journalist died after being forcibly restrained and injected with an overdose of drugs during what they described as a failed attempt to persuade him to return to Saudi Arabia.
A US intelligence report released by the Biden administration in 2021 concluded that Mohammed bin Salman exercised "absolute control" over the kingdom and that Saudi security organizations had approved an operation to "capture or kill" Khashoggi. Saudi Arabia rejected the assessment as "false and unacceptable."
US President Donald Trump, however, said last year that the crown prince "knew nothing" about the plan to kill the journalist.
(RT.com)
Get a daily dose of Russia Herald news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Russia Herald.
More InformationWASHINGTON, D.C: Jerome Powell stepped down as chair of the Federal Reserve on May 15 after an eight-year tenure marked by sweeping...
SAN FRANCISCO, California: Anthropic and the Gates Foundation have launched a four-year, US$200 million partnership to support artificial...
LAS VEGAS, Nevada: Allegiant Air said it has completed its acquisition of Sun Country Airlines, creating a larger low-cost carrier...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. and world stock markets closed sharply lower on Friday, wrapping up a tumultuous week with widespread losses...
TOKYO, Japan: Honda Motor reported its first annual loss since listing on the stock market in 1957 after taking more than US$9 billion...
WASHINGTON, D.C: Boeing is set to receive an order for 200 aircraft from China, U.S. President Donald Trump said during his visit to...
Rights groups and a Biden-era US intelligence report alleged that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was behind the murder France...
New Delhi [India], May 16 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday congratulated Ali Falih Kadhim al-Zaidi on assuming office...
The acting US Army chief of staff said commanders were instructed to reduce troop levels in Europe The Pentagon has canceled plans...
The Hague [Netherlands], May 17 (ANI): Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten on Saturday (local time) described the newly announced strategic...
The Hague [Netherlands], May 17 (ANI): Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten said that India and Netherlands will deliver clear benefits...
New Delhi [India], April 17 (ANI): India on Saturday rejected the 'so-called award by the illegally constituted Court of Arbitration...
