Arrest warrants issued for Saudi ex-adviser al-Qahtani, intel official Asiri over Khashoggi murder

A Turkish court issued arrest warrants for former Saudi Deputy Foreign Intelligence Chief Gen. Ahmed Asiri and Royal Court Adviser Saud Al-Qahtani over their roles in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Reuters reported earlier on Wednesday that the Istanbul Chief Prosecutor’s Office had applied to court seeking arrest warrants for Asiri and al-Qahtani, two figures close to Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, believing there is strong suspicion that they were among the planners of the murder, according to two senior Turkish officials.

The officials also said that Saudi Arabia could address international concern by extraditing all suspects in the murder to Turkey.

“The prosecution’s move to issue arrest warrants for Asiri and al-Qahtani reflects the view that Saudi authorities won’t take formal action against those individuals,” one of the Turkish officials said.

Khashoggi was killed in the kingdom’s Istanbul consulate on Oct. 2 by a team of 15 people consisting of Saudi officials who arrived in Turkey for his murder and a cover-up operation, including dismembering Khashoggi’s body. All of the identified individuals have since left Turkey.

Saudi Arabia has said the prince had no prior knowledge of the murder. After offering numerous contradictory explanations, Riyadh later said Khashoggi had been killed and his body dismembered when negotiations to persuade him to return to Saudi Arabia failed.

Saudi authorities launched an investigation against 21 people including Asiri and al-Qahtani over the murder, detaining some of the suspects and seeking death penalty for five.

Asiri and al-Qahtani were sacked from their positions, according to a statement released on Oct. 20.

Turkey has been seeking the extradition of 18 suspects, including 15 members of the assassination squad.

Turkish officials have repeatedly offered for the trial against the murder to be held in Turkey, where the crime was committed. Saudi authorities have denied Turkey’s requests and said the suspects will be tried in the kingdom.

With the court’s decision, Turkey could now issue an international arrest warrant for the suspects to be detained anywhere in the world.

Source: Daily Sabah