Khashoggi’s fiancee urges Trump to reveal truth behind murder
London: Hatice Cengiz, the fiancee of murdered Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi, has called upon US President Donald Trump to “help reveal the truth” about the killing.
“I am deeply grateful for the solidarity of people all over the world. I am, however, disappointed in the actions of the leadership in many countries, particularly in the US,” Cengiz said on Monday night at a memorial in London for the slain Washington Post columnist.
“President Trump should help reveal the truth and ensure justice be served. He should not pave the way for a cover-up of my fiancee’s murder. Let’s not let money taint our conscience and compromise our values,” she added.
Her remarks came days after she rejected an invitation from Trump to visit the White House, CNN reported.
Cengiz described Khashoggi as a “martyr for a cause” and said she hoped his body would be returned soon so his loved ones could bury him.
“I believe that the Saudi regime knows where his body is… I want justice to be served. Not only for those who murdered my beloved Jamal, but for those who organised it and gave the order for it.”
Cengiz added that she wanted “the role of the political leadership in this brutal killing to be brought to light” and asked the global community to assist in holding “the perpetrators and their masters to account”.
“There should be no cover-up. Jamal was my beloved fiancee, but he was also a gentle human being, a loving man, a journalist and a true believer in democracy and freedom in the Arab world,” she said.
Khashoggi, 59, was last seen alive on October 2 entering Saudi Arabia’s Istanbul consulat where he had hoped to obtain paperwork that would have allowed him to marry Cengiz, a Turkish national, CNN said.
In the month since, Saudi officials have released several shifting accounts of the events surrounding Khashoggi’s death.
Initially, the Kingdom said the journalist had left the consulate alive shortly after arriving. It later said he had died in a fistfight when a discussion turned violent.
Last week, the country’s attorney general said new information received from Turkish investigators now led them to believe the killing was premeditated.
