BBC Online :
The head of the United Nations has demanded “the truth” over the disappearance of the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Secretary General Antonio Guterres told the BBC he feared such disappearances would happen more regularly and become a “new normal”.
Mr Khashoggi, a critic of the Saudi government, vanished on 2 October after visiting its consulate in Istanbul.
Saudi Arabia says accusations it ordered his killing there are “lies”.
Interior Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz, in quotes reported by the official Saudi Press Agency in Friday, said the kingdom was also keen to uncover “the whole truth”, but added that allegations it had issued orders to kill Mr Khashoggi were “baseless”.
A Turkish security source has told the BBC that officials had audio and video evidence proving Mr Khashoggi, who writes for the Washington Post, was murdered inside the consulate.
US President Donald Trump, who has sought to build good relations with Saudi Arabia, pledged to uncover the truth.
He told CBS News that there would be “severe punishment” if Saudi Arabia is found to have been responsible. But he ruled out halting big US military contracts with the kingdom on the grounds that jobs would be lost. Mr Trump on Friday told reporters he would call King Salman of Saudi Arabia to discuss “the terrible situation in Turkey”. He told me at the International Monetary Fund meeting in Bali: “We need to have a strong request for the truth to be clear. “We need to know exactly what has happened and we need to know exactly who is responsible and, of course, when we see the multiplication of this kind of situation I think we need to find ways in which accountability is also demanded.” He said he believed the legal system should be able to guarantee accountability, but added: “I must say I am feeling worried [at] this apparent new normal. “Because this kind of incident is multiplying and it’s absolutely essential to make sure that the international community says clearly that this is not something that can happen.” Saudi Arabia is hosting a key investment conference in Riyadh this month. Mr Guterres said that once there was a “clear answer” about what had happened, governments should respond “in the appropriate way” about whether to attend. US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Washington was “looking for information” and wanted to understand the “realities” of what had happened.
“We express concerns for Mr Khashoggi and his family,” Mr Mnuchin said.
Media captionJamal Khashoggi: What we know about the journalist’s disappearance But he said he was still planning to attend the Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh, dubbed “Davos in the Desert”, starting on 23 October. Jim Kim, the head of the World Bank, has already withdrawn from the event, while Sir Richard Branson, the head of Virgin, has said he is suspending his role as director of two tourism projects.
The head of the United Nations has demanded “the truth” over the disappearance of the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Secretary General Antonio Guterres told the BBC he feared such disappearances would happen more regularly and become a “new normal”.
Mr Khashoggi, a critic of the Saudi government, vanished on 2 October after visiting its consulate in Istanbul.
Saudi Arabia says accusations it ordered his killing there are “lies”.
Interior Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz, in quotes reported by the official Saudi Press Agency in Friday, said the kingdom was also keen to uncover “the whole truth”, but added that allegations it had issued orders to kill Mr Khashoggi were “baseless”.
A Turkish security source has told the BBC that officials had audio and video evidence proving Mr Khashoggi, who writes for the Washington Post, was murdered inside the consulate.
US President Donald Trump, who has sought to build good relations with Saudi Arabia, pledged to uncover the truth.
He told CBS News that there would be “severe punishment” if Saudi Arabia is found to have been responsible. But he ruled out halting big US military contracts with the kingdom on the grounds that jobs would be lost. Mr Trump on Friday told reporters he would call King Salman of Saudi Arabia to discuss “the terrible situation in Turkey”. He told me at the International Monetary Fund meeting in Bali: “We need to have a strong request for the truth to be clear. “We need to know exactly what has happened and we need to know exactly who is responsible and, of course, when we see the multiplication of this kind of situation I think we need to find ways in which accountability is also demanded.” He said he believed the legal system should be able to guarantee accountability, but added: “I must say I am feeling worried [at] this apparent new normal. “Because this kind of incident is multiplying and it’s absolutely essential to make sure that the international community says clearly that this is not something that can happen.” Saudi Arabia is hosting a key investment conference in Riyadh this month. Mr Guterres said that once there was a “clear answer” about what had happened, governments should respond “in the appropriate way” about whether to attend. US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Washington was “looking for information” and wanted to understand the “realities” of what had happened.
“We express concerns for Mr Khashoggi and his family,” Mr Mnuchin said.
Media captionJamal Khashoggi: What we know about the journalist’s disappearance But he said he was still planning to attend the Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh, dubbed “Davos in the Desert”, starting on 23 October. Jim Kim, the head of the World Bank, has already withdrawn from the event, while Sir Richard Branson, the head of Virgin, has said he is suspending his role as director of two tourism projects.
