Jamal Khashoggi: Jeremy Hunt to confront Saudi leaders over killing during visit to Riyadh
FOREIGN SECRETARY Jeremy Hunt is set to confront Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman today over the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, during a landmark visit to the Saudi capital Riyadh.
Khashoggi's son makes emotional appeal for return of body
Mr Hunt will fly to the Gulf State today to meet King Salman and the Crown Prince - the first minister to do so since Mr Khashoggi’s death - and will urge the Saudi leaders to cooperate with the international investigation into the journalist’s death.
The Foreign Secretary commented on the case ahead of his arrival, saying: “The international community remain united in horror and outrage at the brutal murder of Jamal Khashoggi one month ago.
“It is clearly unacceptable that the full circumstances behind his murder still remain unclear.
“We encourage the Saudi authorities to cooperate fully with the Turkish investigation into his death, so that we deliver justice for his family and the watching world.”
The international community remain united in horror and outrage at the brutal murder of Jamal Khashoggi one month ago
Mr Hunt previously stated that Saudi Arabia’s claims Mr Khashoggi died in a fist fight were “not credible”, and vowed to “act accordingly” in response to the murder.
Mr Khasoggi disappeared on October 2 after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to retrieve official divorce papers which would allow him to marry his fiancée - who was waiting outside the consulate building.
Turkey has since claimed it has recordings of the brutal “ISIS-style” attack which implicate Saudi officials in the journalist’s murder.
The recordings were subsequently leaked to Turkish media, shortly before Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan said they had also been shared with the US, UK, France and Germany.
Mr Erdogan said: “We gave the tapes. We gave them to Saudi Arabia, to the United States, Germans, French and British, all of them.”
Mr Hunt is also expected to tackle the issue of the war in Yemen with the Saudi leaders, after the UK has come under increasing pressure to act over the conflict.
The Foreign Secretary described the conflict as “incalculable”, and warned that millions of citizens in Yemen face famine and displacement.
Commenting on the crisis, he said: “The only solution is now a political decision to set aside arms and pursue peace.
Khashoggi’s body ‘dissolved in acid’ claims Erdogan’s aide
“Britain has a unique position, both as pen-holder at the UN Security Council and as a key influencer in the region, so today I am travelling to the Gulf to demand that all sides committee to this process.
“We are witnessing a man-made humanitarian catastrophe on our watch: now is the window to make a difference, and to get behind both the UN peace process and current UK efforts in the Security Council.”
Mr Hunt will conclude his trip to the Middle East by visiting the United Arab Emirates, where he will bring up the ongoing case of Matthew Hedges, a 31-year-old Briton who has been detained in the country since May on accusations of espionage.