UAE welcomes Saudi findings on death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi
ABU DHABI 16 November 2018: The United Arab Emirates has welcomed the findings released by Saudi Arabia’s public prosecutor on the investigation of the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
In a statement to Wam, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation valued the steps taken by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia towards the case as well as the measures taken to hold accountable those behind the murder.
”The measures taken corroborate the fact that Saudi Arabia will remain a state of values, and justice that respects the principles of law and justice,” said the statement.
The Ministry reaffirms that the findings confirm the continued and painstaking follow-up undertaken by the Saudi institutions concerned to ensure the safety of its citizens and update the public opinion and the international community on the facts related to the case.
While reiterating its solidarity with Saudi Arabia in all the measures it is taking, the UAE reaffirms its rejection of any attempts to politicise or internationalise the case in a way that threatens the Kingdom’s sovereignty and stability.
Murder case opened
Meanwhile, in Riyadh, Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Adel bin Ahmed Al Jubeir affirmed that the case of Jamal Khashoggi’s murder has become a legal case and is being dealt with by justice authorities of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
He stressed the Kingdom’s rejection of any attempt to politicize this case or intervene in its internal affairs, said Saudi Press Agency.
Politicizing the case of Jamal Khashoggi’s murder is bound to divide the Islamic world, while the Kingdom seeks to unite the Islamic world, Al Jubeir said, pointing out that the criticism and fierce media attacks on the Kingdom are baseless and illogical, and that the Kingdom insists on punishing whoever is involved in this crime to ensure that it will not recur in the future.
In a press conference held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Riyadh yesterday, Al Jubeir said “The murder of Jamal Khashoggi is a very big mistake and there was a directive to the Public Prosecutor by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to conduct a thorough investigation, in which the initial findings were disclosed, as many as 18 suspects taken in custody, and six officials relieved of their posts.”
Al Jubeir also said that investigations continued and the Public Prosecution was able to gather the details of what happened to citizen Jamal Khashoggi. As many as eleven individuals were referred to court, including five the Public Prosecutor demanded be executed, Al Jubeir said, stressing that the investigations are still going on and the Public Prosecutor still has inquiries which need be answered, indicating that during the investigations there was a positive communication with the Turkish side and the Saudi-Turkish joint investigation committee, citing the visit of the Public Prosecutor to Turkey to obtain more evidence.
Al Jubeir also said that the press conference held by the Public Prosecution mentioned that three memos were sent to the Turkish side to get further evidence and that the Public Prosecutor is waiting to receive replies on them.
Al Jubeir also said that the Ministerial Committee, which was formed by directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to restructure the General Intelligence Service, started its mission under the chairmanship of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and is about to present its recommendations to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.
He pointed out that the case of Jamal Khashoggi is a humanitarian case, stressing that despite the momentum this case has received in the international and local media, it will not divert the Kingdom from its firm policies of confronting terrorism and extremism, seeking stabilization of oil markets, confronting Iran’s aggressive interventions in the affairs of the region, and bringing about security and stability in Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Yemen, Libya and other countries.