Khashoggi's sons make a call to the regime: "We want to bury dad"

On 23 October, Salah Khashoggi, the journalist's oldest son, and several other relatives met with the Saudi royal family in Riyadh. They were invited to the death of the journalist at the consulate of Saudi Arabia in Istanbul.

For the first time since, brothers Salah and Abdullah Khashoggi speak publicly about the death of their father.

In the interview, broadcast on CNN in the night from Sunday to Sunday, they describe the grief – and the struggle to bury his father. At the same time, they stress that they rely on the Saudi authorities.

– This is not a normal situation, it is not a normal death. All we want right now is to bury him in Medina with the rest of the family. I've been talking to the Saudi authorities and I hope it will be possible soon, "Salah Khashoggi told CNN.

Color the king

According to the Turkish authorities, the body was cut and removed from the consulate by a death squad linked to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. It should be commissioned "at the highest level", according to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. According to the theory, the body can then be dissolved in an acid. But until now, no exact answer has been given to what happened.

The Saudi regime denies having stated that it does not know what happened. And the sons say that they trust the royal family seriously means that they also want to get to the bottom of things.

– The king said that all those involved should be brought to justice. And I hope that will be the case. It will happen. Otherwise, Saudi Arabia has not conducted an internal investigation into this, says Salah Khashoggi, who lives and works in Saudi Arabia.

Met the father in Turkey

The younger brother Abdullah Khashoggi was, along with the journalist's fiancée, the last of the family members who met the father before his death at the consulate. He went to Turkey to spend time with the father during their stay.

According to the sons, the father, who was living in exile in the United States, has also considered moving to Turkey to live closer to his family.

He was happy. We went to Istanbul and had a great time. I am happy to have had the opportunity to spend time with him this last time, I am very grateful, "Abdullah Khashoggi said.

"He believed in the monarchy"

At the same time, the sons oppose passages from the report after the father's death. According to them, he was not critical of the monarchy in Saudi Arabia.

– He believed in the monarchy and that it is she who keeps this country united. He also believed in the ongoing reforms, Salah Khashoggi said.

According to the sons, the father did not sympathize with the Muslim Brotherhood, as has been said in several contexts. The Muslim Brotherhood is particularly controversial in Saudi Arabia alone, which is one of the countries that has classified it as a terrorist organization.