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U.N. report finds 'credible evidence' Saudi prince could be liable for Khashoggi killing

U.N. report finds 'credible evidence' Saudi prince could be liable for Khashoggi killing Breaking News EmailsGet breaking news alerts and special reports. The news and stories that matter, delivered weekday mornings.SUBSCRIBEThe United Nations extrajudicial executions investigator said there was "credible evidence" that high-level Saudi officials, including powerful Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, could be liable for the killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi.In an 101-page report into the journalist's murder at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul last October, Agnes Callamard called on U.N. bodies or the U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to "demand" a follow-up criminal investigation.Callamard noted the "extreme sensitivity" of considering the criminal responsibility of the crown prince, as well as Saud Alqahtani, a senior adviser to the Saudi royal court who has not been charged.Call for probe of Saudi prince in Khashoggi deathJune 19, 201900:37"The Special Rapporteur has determined that there is credible evidence, warranting further investigation of high-level Saudi Officials’ individual liability, including the Crown Prince’s," according to the report.Khashoggi, a permanent U.S. resident and vocal critic of Salman, was murdered and dismembered on Oct. 2 in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul."No conclusion is made as to guilt," she wrote of Salman and Alqahtani. "The only conclusion made is that there is credible evidence meriting further investigation."Speaking shortly after the report was published, Callamard said she did not have evidence of who ordered the killing."What I do have is evidence suggesting that the responsibilities of high level officials may be engaged and therefore requiring further investigation," she told reporters.Callamard said was particularly true of the crown prince for two reasons. The first was because those directly implicated in the murder reported to Salman, and the second was because of other human rights violations that had occurred in the year proceeding Khashoggi's murder."There is no way the leaders of that state, including the crown prince, were not aware of those violations. In fact, there is credible evidence pointing to their involvement," she said, without elaborating on the violations she was referring to."What needs to be investigated is the extent to which the crown prince knew or should have known of what would have happened to Mr. Khashoggi, whether he directly or indirectly incited the killing, whether he acted without due diligence, whether he could have prevented the execution when the mission started and failed to do so," she added.The Saudis at first denied that Khashoggi had gone missing, but after a series of embarrassing reports and revelations they eventually admitted that the journalist's killing had been premeditated and pinned the blame on a rogue team — some of whom are known to have been close to the crown prince.Meanwhile, the CIA has concluded that Salman ordered Khashoggi’s killing. The claim has been resolutely rejected by Riyadh. The murder and the Sa

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