Khashoggi’s fiancee demands ‘punishment’ for Saudi Crown Prince MBS over dissident’s murder

Hatice Cengiz, a Turkish academic researcher, said in a statement.
"If the crown prince is not punished, it will forever endanger us all and be a stain on our humanity"

Credit: AP

The fiancee of murdered Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi said it would be a “stain on humanity” if Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was not “punished without delay” over his role in the killing.

Hatice Cengiz welcomed the release by the Biden administration last week of a US intelligence report that concluded Prince Mohammed had approved the murder of Washington Post columnist at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018, but warned it was “not enough”.

A Office for the Director of National Intelligence found the prince, known as MBS, had approved the killing, and Washington imposed sanctions on some of those involved — but not the prince himself. The Saudi government, which has denied any involvement by the crown prince, rejected the report’s findings.

Asked about criticism of Washington for not sanctioning Prince Mohammed directly, President Joe Biden said an announcement would be made on Monday.

"It is essential that the crown prince, who ordered the brutal murder of a blameless and innocent person, should be punished without delay," Ms Cengiz, a Turkish academic researcher, said in a statement.

A demonstrator dressed as Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman with blood on his hands protests outside the Saudi Embassy in Washington, DC

Credit: AFP

"If the crown prince is not punished, it will forever endanger us all and be a stain on our humanity," she added.

The 39-year-old made a plea that world leaders distance themselves from MBS and impose punishments such as sanctions on Saudi Arabia.

"Starting with the Biden Administration, it is vital for all world leaders to ask themselves if they are prepared to shake hands with [Prince Mohammed]," she said. "I urge everyone to put their hands on their hearts and campaign to punish the crown prince."

In an emotional interview with CNN, Ms Cengiz said over the weekend: "I am [more] devastated than ever before. Now I believe he will never come back."

It’s my statement. #justiceforjamal pic.twitter.com/T9q7qK8AGu

— Hatice Cengiz / خديجة (@mercan_resifi) March 1, 2021

The Biden administration has faced criticism that the president should have been tougher on the crown prince, particularly after promising American voters ahead of the election that he would hold Khashoggi’s killers to account.

Republican and Democratic members of Congress have also called on Mr Biden to impose further sanctions. 

Robert Menendez, New Jersey Democratic Senator  and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said Mr Biden had demonstrated his commitment to transparency and compliance with law "by ending Donald Trump’s cover up of the murder of Jamal Khashoggi."