What does Saudi Arabia say happened in the consulate?

Statements from the official Saudi Press Agency and the ministry of foreign affairs released around midnight late on Friday said Jamal Khashoggi had been killed after a physical fight broke out with Saudi officials during his visit to the consulate on 2 October.

Timeline Jamal Khashoggi's death: a Saudi version of events Show Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman tells Bloomberg he understands Khashoggi left the consulate after “a few minutes or one hour”. Turkish authorities are welcome to search the diplomatic mission because “we have nothing to hide”, he says. The Saudi consulate in Istanbul tweets that is following up on reports of Khashoggi’s disappearance “after he left the building”. Saudi ambassador Walid bin Abdul Karim El Khereiji denies any knowledge of Khashoggi’s whereabouts, Turkish media says. Riyadh sends investigators to cooperate with Turkey. Consul general Mohammed al-Otaibi tells Reuters all talk of kidnapping is baseless. Otaibi gives Reuters a tour of the consulate. Around midnight, Turkish officials say Khashoggi was killed there. A Saudi statement describes the Turkish allegations as baseless. US ambassador Prince Khaled bin Salman tells Axios the kingdom had nothing to do with the case. Prince Khalid describes allegations against the kingdom as “malicious leaks and grim rumours”. Turkey and Saudi Arabia form a joint working group. Saudi Arabia’s interior minister describes claims in the media that there were “orders to kill [Khashoggi]” as “lies and baseless allegations”. Later, Turkish officials leak details and say he was dismembered with a bone saw. Donald Trump tweets that he had spoken with King Salman, who “denies any knowledge of whatever may have happened”. Saudi-owned al Arabiya TV says 15 men identified by Turkish media on 10 October as part of a hit squad were misidentified “tourists”. Turkish investigators are allowed to search the consulate building. Trump speaks with Mohammed bin Salman, then tweets that the crown prince “totally denied” any knowledge of what happened and Riyadh was launching a thorough investigation. The US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, says Saudi Arabia has made a “serious commitment” to hold anyone responsible accountable. Saudi Arabia’s public prosecutor says investigations show a fistfight led to Khashoggi’s death. Eighteen people have been arrested and two officials close to bin Salman fired. A Saudi official tells Reuters 15 officials travelled to Istanbul to meet Khashoggi, who had expressed interest in returning home. They threatened to kidnap him; Khashoggi resisted, and was accidentally choked to death during attempts to stop him shouting. An official dressed in Khashoggi’s clothes to make it appear as if he had left the consulate. The body was given to a “local collaborator” who disposed of it. The team then lied to Riyadh to cover up the fact Khashoggi had died.

On Sunday, an unnamed senior Saudi official gave more details, telling Reuters that a team of 15 men had acted without authorisation from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to extradite the writer, accidentally killing him in a chokehold before rolling up his body in a rug and giving it to a “local cooperator” for disposal.

A member of the team then dressed in Khashoggi’s clothes to make it appear as if he had left the consulate, the official said.

Mohammed bin Salman said his understanding was that Khashoggi had left the building ‘after a few minutes or one hour’. Photograph: Paul White/AP

How has the Saudi version of events changed?

The acknowledgement of Khashoggi’s death came after two weeks of blanket denials that Riyadh was at all involved in his disappearance.

Saudi Arabia was given a false report from the extradition team, the official said, and initially believed the journalist was still alive, and had left via a back entrance, which they say is why his waiting fiancee did not see him.

On 5 October, three days after the journalist’s disappearance, Bin Salman said his understanding was that Khashoggi had left the building “after a few minutes or one hour”.

New details given on Sunday raise several new questions, such as whether Khashoggi had really expressed an interest in returning home, as claimed, and whether the team would have released him if the journalist had refused to go.

It is also not clear why such a big team – including security officials – was needed for a peaceful and willing discussion about returning to Riyadh.

What does the Turkish evidence say?

Steadily released leaks from Turkish investigators over the last two weeks – designed to pressurise the Saudis into admitting Khashoggi was killed inside the consulate – paint a very different picture of what happened on the day he died.



Investigators allege he was tortured and murdered by the team, which was sent from Riyadh with the intention of killing him. His body was then cut up and police are searching wooded areas outside Istanbul for his remains.

What about the autopsy expert who was part of the team?

Riyadh acknowledged that Dr Salah Mohammad al-Tubaigy was part of the rogue team dispatched to Istanbul, included to clear up fingerprints or any other incriminating evidence. But officials have not offered an explanation why an autopsy expert rather than a forensics doctor specialised in other disciplines was involved.

The Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

What steps has Riyadh taken so far?

Eighteen suspects had been arrested in relation to the case, which Saudi Arabia called a “cover up”, including the 15 men previously identified by Turkish media as part of the alleged hit squad, and three people who worked at the consulate.

Saud al-Qahtani, an influential adviser to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Gen Ahmed al-Assiri, a senior intelligence official, have been removed from their posts. It is alleged Assiri ordered the operation and Qahtani “signed off on his employee to carry out interrogation” of Khashoggi.

Who are the two senior fired officials?

Qahtani, a media adviser to the royal court and close confidant of Bin Salman, has been described as Saudi Arabia’s Steve Bannon. He is a well-known figure on social media, asking followers to send him the names of the kingdom’s critics to be added to his blacklist.



Assiri, the deputy head of the Saudi intelligence agency, is one of the crown prince’s most trusted generals. He was previously a senior air force officer and spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen.

Does this mean the crown prince has been insulated from the case?

Riyadh’s moves so far appear to be designed to minimise any connection between Bin Salman and the death of Khashoggi.

Bin Salman’s announcement said he would head a ministerial committee to restructure and modernise the general intelligence agency after the firings, and continue its ongoing investigation into Khashoggi’s murder.

What have the Saudis said about Khashoggi’s body?

No mention has been made of what happened to Khashoggi’s remains. Several Saudi officials said on Saturday that the body had been handed over to a “local collaborator”, a resident of Istanbul, who disposed of it. The nationality of the alleged accomplice is unknown, effectively absolving Saudi Arabia from having to explain where the journalist’s body is.

Bin Salman shakes hands with the US president, Donald Trump. Photograph: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images

Did they say Khashoggi was a target of the authorities?

No, although a Saudi official told Reuters on Saturday there was a general policy of returning critics to the country. The extradition team allegedly gave Khashoggi a choice on whether to go back to the kingdom, after which officials say they went off script, threatening to drug and kidnap him, and Khashoggi resisted. The crown prince himself had “no knowledge” of the specific operation, several officials have said, although many people with an understanding of the workings of the Saudi state say he would almost certainly have sanctioned such an undertaking.

Has Turkey accepted the Saudi explanation?

Turkey’s investigation into Khashoggi’s death is ongoing, using DNA samples. An official from the ruling AK party said on Saturday that Ankara would never allow a cover-up in determining what happened to Khashoggi.