The Saudi ambassador to the United Nations, Abdullah Al-Muallimi, stated that the U.S. intelligence report accusing Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of involvement in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi did not provide any compelling evidence.
Al-Muallimi posted on his official Twitter account on Monday, "The report is based on assumptions and does not come close to proving the accusation beyond a reasonable doubt." He noted that the case has been closed, referring to the Crown Prince's brave acceptance of moral responsibility and his commitment to bringing the accused to justice while vowing to reform intelligence agencies.
In his tweets, Al-Muallimi commented on the phrase that the Prince is "obsessed" with capturing Saudi dissenters and bringing them home, questioning, "Where is this loud voice bringing many dissenters back to their homes? We all know there are some defectors living comfortably abroad and still do because of foreign intelligence."
He added, "Some of those responsible for the crime appeared in photos alongside Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, indicating his 'closeness' to them, noting that if this is the case, it is a point in favor of the Prince, indicating that even those who may have been 'close' to him were prosecuted and convicted in court."
Last Friday, the U.S. administration issued an intelligence report suggesting that the Crown Prince personally approved the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. Following the report's release, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced restrictions on visas for 76 Saudis entering the United States.
The U.S. report stated, "According to our estimates, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approved an operation in Istanbul, Turkey, to capture or kill journalist Jamal Khashoggi." The report indicated that the Crown Prince viewed Khashoggi as a threat to the kingdom and approved measures to silence him.
Saudi Arabia categorically rejected the U.S. intelligence report, with a statement from the Saudi Foreign Ministry declaring, "We completely reject what was stated in the congressional report regarding the murder of citizen Jamal Khashoggi."
