It’s not clear what’s become of Jamal Khashoggi, a journalist and leading critic of the Saudi government. At best, he has been silenced. At worst, he has been murdered, the victim of a bizarre and brutal operation carried out by agents of his own government.

That’s what his supporters fear and Turkish security officials allege. They say Khashoggi was killed and his body dismembered by a “hit squad” from Riyadh inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. What is certain is that he hasn’t been seen since he entered the building more than a week ago.

The assassination — if that is indeed what it is — of a journalist is always a tragedy. Governments that silence their journalistic critics are attempting to muzzle all those who raise their voices through the media and to intimidate those who might do so in future.

This is especially troubling in the context of increasingly open hostility toward the news media from governments that once at least paid lip service to its legitimate role. The Trump administration, to cite the most egregious offender, has unleashed unprecedented attacks on the media, labelling them “fake news” and even “enemies of the people.”

In August, two experts on freedom of expression appointed by the United Nations and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights warned that this kind of rhetoric could have real-world impact. “We are especially concerned that these attacks increase the risk of journalists being targeted with violence,” they said.

Just weeks later, here we are. If Khashoggi has indeed been murdered in such vicious fashion, it may be in part because the Saudi government feels it has less reason to fear blow-back from a government in Washington that was once known as a defender of a free press around the world.

Hundreds of other journalists have been killed as a result of their work in countries ranging from, most recently, Bulgaria and Slovakia to Russia, Syria, Iraq, Mexico, the Philippines and many more. Governments, gangs and others will undoubtedly feel freer to silence their critics if they believe they can do so with impunity. Trump’s assault on so-called “fake news” feeds exactly that sort of climate.

Governments around the world, including decent elements within the U.S. government, must make it clear to the Saudis that this kind of brutality violates every norm of behaviour among nations. Otherwise, more journalists will die and more critical voices will fall silent.

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