WEB DESK
Saudi Arabia said it rejected completely “the negative, false and unacceptable” assessment of the U.S. intelligence report released on Friday that found Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had approved the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
“The government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia completely rejects the assessment in the report pertaining to the Kingdom’s leadership, and notes that the report contained inaccurate information and conclusions,” the Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a statement carried by state news agency SPA.
Meanwhile the U.N. human rights expert who led a U.N. investigation into the 2018 killing called on the United States to take the lead in ensuring justice is served for his murder.
Agnes Callamard, U.N. investigator for summary executions, in a statement posted on Twitter after a declassified U.S. intelligence assessment was released, urged the U.S. government to impose sanctions on the crown prince, adding: “With the release of the US report, confirming Saudi officials culpability at the highest levels, the United States should now take the lead in ensuring accountability for this crime and for setting in place the international mechanisms to prevent and punish such acts in the future “targeting his personal assets but also his international engagements.”
The United States should not grant the crown prince, also known as MbS, immunity from civil suits and Saudi Arabia should disclose whether Khashoggi’s remains were destroyed at its consulate in Istanbul and how they were disposed of, she said.
Hatice Cengiz, Khashoggi’s fiancee on Friday tweeted “#justiceforjamal” after the release of the report.