US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday called for a thorough and open probe by Washington’s ally Saudi Arabia into the disappearance of journalist and Riyadh critic Jamal Khashoggi.
“We call on the government of Saudi Arabia to support a thorough investigation of Mr Khashoggi’s disappearance and to be transparent about the results of that investigation,” Pompeo said in a statement, after President Donald Trump voiced concern for Khashoggi, who vanished after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul last week.
Turkish officials have said that Khashoggi was murdered inside the consulate.
“We have seen conflicting reports on the safety and whereabouts of prominent Saudi journalist and Washington Post contributor Jamal Khashoggi,” Pompeo said.
State Department senior officials have spoken with Saudi Arabia through diplomatic channels about the matter, the top US diplomat added.
Khashoggi is a US resident for about the past year. He writes for the Washington Post and considered as outspoken critic of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s leadership.
The Saudi journalist entered the consulate Tuesday to obtain documents for his upcoming marriage while his Turkish fiancée waited outside. But his fiancée says she never saw him re-emerge.
Source: AFP
