Jamal Khashoggi’s murder was was planned and carried out by Saudi state officials, said UN Special Rapporteur leading the UN investigation on the journalist’s killing, Euronews reports.
Khashoggi was the victim of a “brutal and premeditated killing, planned and perpetrated by officials of the State of Saudi Arabia,” said Agnes Callamard, the UN Special Rapporteur leading the investigation.
The UN expert also noted that Turkey’s efforts to investigate Khashoggi’s murder at Saudi Arabia’s embassy in Istanbul had been “seriously undermined”.
“Woefully inadequate time and access was granted to Turkish investigators to conduct a professional and effective crime-scene examination and search required by international standards for investigation,” she said.
Callamard visited Turkey with a team of three experts to investigate the reasons behind the journalist’s murder.
The team was given access to the “chilling and gruesome audio material” obtained by Turkish authorities but hadn’t had the opportunity to fully investigate it.
The probe is ongoing.
The final report will be presented to the UN Human Rights Council in June.