For the investigators the dismembered corpse was concealed outside the diplomatic representation. US President Trump admits: "His death seems certain". Russian counterpart Putin states that there is no evidence to justify cutting relations with Riyadh. Shadows close in on façade reforms of Mbs.
Istanbul (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The Turkish police have expanded the field of investigation into the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, behind which there is a suspicion of involvement of Riyadh and the royal family.
According to an Ankara government source, the dismembered remains of the man's corpse were buried in a forest or agricultural area not far from the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
A critical voice of the Wahhabi leadership and, in particular, of the hereditary prince Mohammad bin Salman (Mbs), he has not heard of him since October 2nd when he entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Some details that have emerged in recent days seem to endorse the Turkish version, according to which a commando came from Saudi Arabia on the day of the disappearance to execute him.
Some sources speak of torture and torture lasted for at least seven minutes and beheading of the man, whose body was then dismembered and made to disappear. Saudi Arabia continues to strongly reject every accusation and denies any involvement in the murky events surrounding Khashoggi’s disapperance. For Riyadh, the reports released so far by the Turkish and international press "are completely false and groundless".
Yesterday, US President Donald Trump, meeting journalists, declared that "the death of the Saudi journalist and intellectual seems to be certain", according to various sources close to the Muslim Brotherhood. The White House tenant spoke about "very sad" events and promised "harsh" retaliation in case evidence of guilt towards Riyadh emerged.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has also broken his silence on the issue, stating that Russia does not have "enough information" to take a stand or justify a deterioration in relations with Riyadh. "Moscow knows nothing - added the leader of the Kremlin - and looks forward to further details".
Some samples gathered inside the Saudi consulate have been sent to the scientific experts for further analysis; the goal of the investigators is to find traces of the DNA of the Saudi journalist and that would prove his violent death.
The Khashoggi affair provoked a severe confrontation between Riyadh and its allies in the West. US Treasury Minister Steven Mnuchin and his colleague for British international trade Liam Fox have withdrawn their participation in the Future Investiment Initiative (FII), the "Davos in the desert" scheduled for October 23rd to 25th. The two senior officials from the United States and Great Britain are just the latest in a series of high-ranking personalities who have decided to boycott the event wanted and strongly promoted by Crown Prince Mbs.
Bin Salman's goal was to show the world the agenda of economic and commercial reforms initiated by the Saudis in the last period, in the context of the Vision 2030 program. Reforms that, to a minimal extent, would also have affected the social and rights with the advancement for women. In fact, arrests of senior officials and entrepreneurs last year, the repression of activists and critical voices and, finally, the Khashoggi affair throw more than one shadow on the reformist image of Mbs.