On November 20, 2018, Saudi King Salman used his annual address to the Shura Council to defend the kingdom’s judiciary and signal support for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, even as the killing of Jamal Khashoggi continued to shake Riyadh’s standing abroad.
The monarch’s remarks came after Saudi prosecutors said the crown prince had no role in the murder of the Washington Post columnist at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2. That account clashed with reports that the CIA had concluded Prince Mohammed ordered the assassination.
According to the prosecutor, five men were being sought for the death penalty, 11 people had been indicted, and 21 suspects were in custody over the killing. Saudi authorities also said the operation that ended in Khashoggi’s death was a rogue mission carried out by a 15-member team that had travelled to Istanbul to bring him back to the kingdom “by means of persuasion”.
In his speech, Salman praised the judiciary and public prosecution, saying: “The kingdom was founded on Islamic principles of justice and equality, and we are proud of the efforts of the judiciary and the public prosecution,” and added: “We ensure that this country will never deviate from implementing God's law without discrimination.” He did not directly mention Khashoggi.
The king’s remarks mattered because, in Saudi Arabia’s absolute monarchy, only he can remove the crown prince. Salman has repeatedly shown no intention of doing so, despite the intense international pressure surrounding the case.
The fallout had already reached Washington and European capitals. The United States sanctioned 17 Saudis over the killing, including close aides to Prince Mohammed, while Germany said on Monday it would bar 18 Saudis from entering its territory and the Schengen passport-free zone over alleged links to the murder.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who said the orders came from “the highest levels” of the Saudi government, has insisted there must be no cover-up. US President Donald Trump, by contrast, has called Saudi Arabia a “truly spectacular ally” and has not blamed the crown prince, despite the reported CIA assessment.
Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya reported that Prince Mohammed would attend the Group of 20 summit in Argentina, his first overseas trip since the killing. The two-day summit was due to begin on November 30, putting him face to face with leaders from Turkey, the United States and several European countries.
Inside the kingdom, Salman and the crown prince were also on a domestic tour of northern Tabuk region, part of a wider effort to reinforce support among tribes and religious leaders. The visit followed earlier stops in central Qassim province and Hail earlier in the month.
The political messaging was reinforced by patronage measures. Salman had pardoned some insolvent prisoners on his trips, and last month he ordered the resumption of annual bonus payments to government workers from the beginning of next year. Those bonuses had been suspended under austerity measures in 2016.
Analysts said the sequence of moves was meant to steady the ruling family and project confidence in the crown prince. Kristin Diwan of the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington said the actions pointed to a campaign to shore up support inside the kingdom and show public confidence in the heir apparent.
Kristian Ulrichsen of Rice University’s Baker Institute said the prince was sending “a very clear message to the international community that nothing they say or do over the Khashoggi affair will interfere with Saudi decision making,” adding that he was effectively daring critics to act on their rhetoric.
Source material published by AFP on November 20, 2018.
