Deputy Public Prosecutor Sheikh Shalaan bin Rajeh bin Shaalan has confirmed that all those suspected of murdering citizen Jamal bin Ahmed Khashoggi were investigated by the Public Prosecution and those who were found guilty were referred to the court; and whoever was not found guilty for the lack of evidence was released through the prosecution or through the court. During a press conference held here today, the Deputy Public Prosecutor pointed out that the rulings issued by the criminal court against the defendants are not final, unless approved by the Appellate Court and the Supreme Court. The only thing left in the procedures is looking at the objection to the ruling from the Appellate Court . If the ruling of punishment is approved by the Appellate Court, it is submitted to the Supreme Court based on Article 190 of the Criminal Procedure System. He also added that the case of the defendants was examined in nine sessions, and the verdict was issued in the tenth session, which allowed the attendance of those interested in this regard, and the children of the victim and their lawyer as well as representatives of the embassies of the five permanent members of the Security Council. In a question that reads: "Was Turkey cooperating and did it provide any assistance in the investigations?" the Deputy Public Prosecutor replied that the Public Prosecution sent 13 letters rogatory to the Turkish side to provide the Public Prosecution in the Kingdom with the available evidence from the crime scene sites. However, no letters were received except one pertaining Saudi Consul, Mohammed Al-Otaibi, who was released through the Public Prosecution. This letter rogatory included witnesses' testimony from the Turkish nationality that the Saudi consul was with them on the day of the crime, where he was on an official leave. He said that the Public Prosecutor's investigations showed that there was no prior intention to kill at the beginning of this mission and the killing was instantaneous when the leader of the negotiating team visited the consulate headquarters and found it impossible to transfer the victim Jamal Khashoggi to a safe place to complete negotiations with him, after that it was agreed and consulted with the head of the negotiation and the perpetrators to kill the victim inside the consulate. The Deputy Public Prosecutor stressed that the investigations showed that there was no previous hostility between the perpetrators and the victim. The Deputy Public Prosecutor confirmed that all those suspected of involving in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi were investigated by the Public Prosecution, and whoever was found guilty by investigation was referred to the court, and whoever was not found guilty was released through the Public Prosecution or the court due to insufficient evidence, adding that the accused Saud Al-Qahtani was investigated by the Public Prosecution and he was not charged due to insufficient evidence. As for the accused Ahmed Asiri, he was investigated and indicted and was referred to the court. He was released after the court dismissed the charges. On the Public Prosecution not announcing the identity of those who are sentenced in the case primarily, the Deputy Public Prosecutor stated that Article 68 of the Criminal Procedure System prohibits announcing the names because the judgments are still primary and when they are final the names will be announced.
