This archive report was first published on 23 December 2019.
On December 23, 2019, Saudi Arabia's public prosecutor announced that five individuals had been sentenced to death for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. However, two top officials investigated over the killing, Ahmed al-Assiri and Saud al-Qahtani, have been exonerated due to insufficient evidence.
According to the prosecutor, Khashoggi's murder was not premeditated, contradicting earlier claims that deputy intelligence chief Ahmed al-Assiri oversaw the killing and was advised by the royal court's media czar Saud al-Qahtani.
Assiri was investigated and charged but eventually acquitted, while Qahtani was investigated but not indicted due to lack of evidence. Both officials were part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's inner circle and were formally sacked over the killing.
The trial, which held nine sessions attended by representatives of the international community and Khashoggi's family, also saw 11 unnamed individuals indicted in the case. Of these, five were sentenced to death, three face jail terms totaling 24 years, and the others were acquitted.
The Khashoggi murder has been widely condemned, with the United Nations and human rights groups calling for an independent investigation into the killing.
