EU hits out at death penalty in Khashoggi case

Khashoggi, a Washington Post contributor and strong critic of the Saudi government, was murdered in Turkey in October last year.

On December 23, the Public Prosecutor of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia announced that five people had been sentenced to death by the Riyadh Criminal Court as part of a trial related to the murder. Of the 11 unnamed individuals prosecuted as part of the trial, five were sentenced to death, three face jail terms totalling 24 years, and the others were acquitted.

“The European Union is unequivocally opposed to the use of capital punishment always and without exception. It is a cruel and inhumane punishment, which fails to act as a deterrent and represents an unacceptable denial of human dignity and integrity,” the European External Action Service (EEAS), the diplomatic service of the European Union, said in a statement on December 24.

“In the specific case of the murder of Mr Khashoggi the European Union reiterates the need to fully ensure accountability and prosecution of all those responsible for and involved in his killing on 2 October 2018 at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. This has to be based on the principles of transparency, respect of legal proceedings and due process,” the statement added.

Salah Khashoggi, the son of Jamal Khashoggi, welcomed the verdict handed down by the Riyadh court. “Fairness of the judiciary is based on two principles, justice and swift litigation,” he said in a Twitter post. “Today, justice was served to children of… Jamal Khashoggi. We affirm our confidence in the Saudi judiciary at all levels.”

The verdict was also welcomed by the United States. “This is an important step in holding those responsible for this terrible crime accountable, and we encourage Saudi Arabia to continue with a fair and transparent judicial process,” a senior official of the US administration said on Monday, according to a report by Reuters.