Saudi Arabia will cover up savage death of journalist

The law in Saudi Arabia is what the ruling royal family says it is, which is why that country’s investigation into the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi will be covered up. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman cannot afford to have all the facts come out because he could be implicated.

Khashoggi, a columnist for The Washington Post, was harshly critical of Salman and other members of the authoritarian government because of widespread human-rights violations and the absence of democratic rule.

A 15-member Saudi “assassination squad” flew to Istanbul, Turkey, to kill Khashoggi, Turkish government officials claim.

The Turks have gathered information that it is refusing to share with Saudi Arabia – and with good reason. The Saudis are not to be trusted.

Indeed, the fact that Khashoggi’s body has not been handed over to his family for burial speaks volumes.

“I want to bury the body of the beloved Jamal,” said Hatice Cengiz, the victim’s fianc e. “Therefore I am asking once again, where is his body? I believe that the Saudi regime knows where his body is. They should answer my demand. For this is not only the demand of a fianc e, but a human and Islamic demand from everybody, every nation.”

Khashoggi went to the Saudi Arabian consulate about a month ago to sign documents that would enable him to marry Cengiz. He died in the consulate.

A Turkish prosecutor said Wednesday the journalist was strangled as soon as he entered the consulate and that the body was dismembered and disposed of. The Turkish government is viewing Riyadh with suspicion.

The Saudis, on the other hand, contend that Khashoggi died during a fight inside the consulate.

That explanation is as far-fetched as Crown Prince Salman’s insistence that his country’s investigation will reveal the truth and that heads will roll. Of course, his head, won’t be one of those, which is why the investigation is without merit.

The head of the United Nations Human Rights Commission has called for an independent investigation by international experts.

Total access demanded

Michelle Bachelet said the investigators should have access to all the evidence and witnesses.

According to Al Jazeera news agency, Bachelet also urged Saudi Arabia to reveal the whereabouts of Khashoggi’s body, adding that a forensic examination and autopsy were crucial in the ongoing investigation into the “shockingly brazen crime” carried out in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

But it isn’t just the Saudis who are being pressured to ensure an objective, independent investigation into the brutal murder of a highly respected journalist.

“I am deeply grateful for the solidarity of people all over the world,” Cengiz said. “I am, however, disappointed in the actions of the leadership in many countries, particularly in the U.S.

“President Trump should help reveal the truth and ensure justice be served. He should not pave the way for a cover-up of my fianc ’s murder. Let’s not let money taint our conscience and compromise our values.”

President Donald J. Trump has sent mixed signals to the Saudis. On the one hand, he has been harshly critical of the way Salman and other members of the government have reacted to the killing. On the other, he has stressed the importance to the American economy of arm sales to the oil-rich nation.

Trump, who has had high praise for the Saudi royal family, must not compromise when it comes to finding the real killers of journalist Khashoggi. His unrelenting attacks on the American press have given rise to legitimate concerns about his commitment to finding the truth.

The president must publicly endorse U.N. human rights chief Bachelet’s call for international experts to conduct the investigation and his demand that they have access to all the evidence and witnesses.

The “shockingly brazen crime,” in the words of the United Nations official, is a defining moment for the free world. If Saudi Arabia, which does not have an independent judicial system, is allowed to have the final word on Khashoggi’s death, then law-and-order becomes a joke.

Consider this insight from Noha Aboueldahab, visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution in Doha: “There is basically no separation of powers in Saudi Arabia. The judicial system is not independent, and as a result, you have unfair and nontransparent trials. “

The government has arrested at least 18 Saudis, but no one believes they acted without the consent of Crown Prince Salman. That’s why an investigation by Saudi Arabia would be a whitewash.