UN says Saudi trial into Khashoggi killing 'not sufficient', calls for independent probe
UN says Saudi trial into Khashoggi killing 'not sufficient', calls for independent probe
The UN Human Rights Office said on Friday that a trial taking place in Saudi Arabia into the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi was 'not sufficient'.
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A Riyadh trial into the slaying of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was slammed by the UN on Friday as "not sufficient", the body's human rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said.
An independent investigation with "international involvement" into the 2 October murder, which took place inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, was needed.
"From the very beginning of this case, we've been pressing for justice. We've been calling for an independent investigation with international involvement," Shamdasani said.
"We are aware of this trial that is taking place in Saudi Arabia, but this is not sufficient," she added.
Khashoggi, a Washington Post contributor, was murdered in what Riyadh called a "rogue" operation, tipping the kingdom into one of its worst diplomatic crises and tarnishing the reputation of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The 59-year-old Saudi insider-turned-critic was strangled and his body cut into pieces by a team of 15 Saudis sent to Istanbul for the killing, according to Turkish officials.
Turkish media reports suggested his remains, which have never been found, were dissolved in acid.
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The grisly murder has sparked an international backlash against Saudi Arabia, with particular ire directed at Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman amid intelligence assessments concluding he personally ordered the murder.
On Thursday, the trial opened in the Saudi capital for 11 defendants charged with the murder.
The session, like other Saudi trials, was closed to the public and the media.
Rights groups have also called for an independent investigation into Khashoggi's killing.
"Given the possible involvement of Saudi authorities in Khashoggi's murder and the lack of independence of Saudi Arabia's criminal justice system, the impartiality of any investigation and trial would be in question," Samah Hadid, a Middle East director at Amnesty International, told AFP on Thursday.
"This is why a UN-led and independent investigation is needed into the murder."
The defence team on Thursday requested a copy of the charge sheet and a timeframe within which to review the charges.
The prosecution agreed to both requests while its investigation continues, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
No date has been set for the next hearing and it was unclear how long the trial would last.
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