Saudi prosecutor seeks death penalties in Jamal Khashoggi case

DUBAI: Saudi Arabian prosecutors is seeking the death penalty for five of the 11 suspects detained over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the state news agency SPA said on Thursday, as a Saudi court held a first hearing on the case.

Saudi Arabia said it also sent new letters to the Turkish public prosecutor asking for “any evidence connected to this case”, which has rattled the Saudi royal court and damaged the reputation of 33-year-old Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

SPA added that the defendants’ lawyers attended the hearing and the court approved a request from the 11 for more time to prepare their defence. It gave no details on the next hearing. Saudi officials have rejected accusations that the crown prince ordered his murder in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, in which Khashoggi’s body was dismembered and removed from the building and handed over to an unidentified “local cooperator”.

The whereabouts of Khashoggi’s remains are still unknown. A Turkish television channel on Monday showed men carrying suitcases purportedly containing the remains into the residence of the Saudi consul general in Istanbul.