Saudi Arabia calls Jamal Khashoggi's killing premeditated for the first time

It was the latest shift in the kingdom's account of what happened to the writer.

ByBen Gittleson
October 25, 2018, 9:16 AM

Saudi prosecutors have called the killing of Jamal Khashoggi "premeditated" for the first time, the latest change in Saudi Arabia's account of what happened to the journalist. The announcement comes two days after Turkey's president also made the claim.

The Washington Post columnist's killing in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2 was carried out with "prior intention," Saudi Attorney General Saud al-Mojeb said Thursday, according to the state-run Saudi Press Agency.

Prosecutors reached that conclusion based on information Saudi Arabia received from Turkey as part of the countries' joint investigation into Khashoggi's death, according to the statement from the attorney general.

PHOTO: In this image made from a March 2018 video provided by Metafora Production, Jamal Khashoggi speaks during an interview at an undisclosed location.
In this image made from a March 2018 video provided by Metafora Production, Jamal Khashoggi speaks during an interview at an undisclosed location.
AP

Since Khashoggi was not seen again after entering the consulate earlier this month, Saudi Arabia's version of events has shifted several times, and Saudi officials have come under increasing pressure to account for what happened to him.

Saudi Arabia first said Khashoggi had left the consulate but later admitted that he died there during a "fistfight." Eighteen Saudi nationals were detained as part of the kingdom's investigation into the incident.

PHOTO: People walk past the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Oct. 7, 2018.
People walk past the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Oct. 7, 2018. The Washington Post is reporting that two officials have told it that Turkey believes a prominent Saudi Arabian journalist who contributes to the Post was killed at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. Saudi officials have had no immediate comment. The Post says that the anonymous officials with knowledge of the Turkish investigation gave it the information about missing columnist Jamal Khashoggi.
Emrah Gurel/AP

On Tuesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the murder "savage" and said it was pre-planned.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Wednesday spoke publicly about Khashoggi's death for the first time, calling it "an ugly incident that cannot be justified," but stopping short of saying whether it was premeditated.

PHOTO: A handout picture provided by the Saudi Royal Palace on Oct. 24, 2018, shows Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman speaking during a joint session of the Future Investment Initiative (FII) conference in the capital Riyadh.
A handout picture provided by the Saudi Royal Palace on Oct. 24, 2018, shows Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman speaking during a joint session of the Future Investment Initiative (FII) conference in the capital Riyadh, which included the Crown Prince of Bahrain and the Lebanese Prime Minister.
Bandar Al-Jaloud/AFP/Getty Images

Related Topics