Turkey to Try Khashoggi’s Killers in Absentia

People allegedly behind the killing of dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi will be tried in absentia in an Istanbul courtroom starting on Friday. Al Jazeera cited officials from the office of Istanbul’s prosecutor, who said there would be 20 defendants, including those believed to have flown into the country the night before the October 2, 2018, killing at Saudi Arabia’s consulate in the city. Khashoggi had gone there to fill out forms for a forthcoming marriage to a Turkish citizen. No body was ever found. Riyadh initially denied having any connection to the journalist’s disappearance, although after Turkish intelligence came forward with outside security-camera footage and interior recordings said to have been made at the consulate at the time of Khashoggi’s death, the kingdom admitted to what it called a “rogue operation.” A Saudi court in December sentenced five people to death, although no more has been said on the matter. Two defendants close to the royal court were found innocent.