A French judge has been appointed to lead an investigation into the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, France’s Prosecutor’s Office announced Saturday, after the Court of Appeal ruled the case admissible.

The investigation, which covers allegations of torture and enforced disappearance, follows a May 11 ruling by the Paris Court of Appeal that found admissible complaints filed by human rights groups TRIAL International and “Reporters Without Borders,” the Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement.

However, a separate complaint filed by Khashoggi’s employer, DAWN newspaper, was ruled inadmissible.

Khashoggi was killed at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October 2018, in an operation that US intelligence believed was ordered by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The crown prince has denied ordered the murder, but admitted that it happened “under his supervision”.
The French investigation adds a new legal front to a case that has seen limited prosecution to date.

A Turkish court halted its trial of 26 Saudi suspects in 2022 and transferred the case to Saudi Arabia, a decision that was criticized by human rights groups.

French law allows judges to open investigations into certain serious crimes committed abroad, although criminal prosecutions generally require suspects to be present on French territory.

Source: prizrenpost