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Several of the largest human rights organizations in the world are calling for a US investigation into the assassination of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
The groups, including Amnesty International, the Committee to Protect Journalists, Human Rights Watch and Reporters Without Borders, called on Turkey to urge the United Kingdom to launch an investigation into Khashoggi's death, which occurred in front of the consulate. Saudi Arabia in Istanbul on October 2nd.
Khashoggi, a regular critic of the Saudi royal family, has worked as a columnist for the Washington Post.
AP
The Saudi prosecutor announced on Friday that a preliminary investigation had revealed that discussions between Khashoggi and the people who had met him at the consulate had given rise to a fight and a fight with fists, which had resulted in the death of the journalist, according to the Saudi press agency.
Turkish officials said that 15 Saudis had gone to Turkey with the obvious aim of meeting Khashoggi at the consulate, where he was going to fill in documents relating to his impending marriage. His fiancee was waiting in a car in front of the consulate at the time of his assassination.
Saudi Arabia initially denied any involvement in the disappearance of the journalist, before announcing the results of the investigation on Friday. The county said 18 people were arrested for the murder of Khashoggi and several senior officials were removed from office.
Leah Millis / Pool via AP
The handful of human rights organizations are calling for an independent investigation to prevent a "laundering of facts" by Saudi Arabia.
"Turkey should appeal to the United Nations to launch a timely, credible and transparent investigation," said Robert Mahoney, Deputy Executive Director of the Committee to Protect Journalists, in a statement issued by Amnesty International. "The involvement of the United Nations is the best guarantee against Saudi bleaching or against attempts by other governments to ignore the problem in order to preserve lucrative trading relationships with Riyadh."
The press release did not mention President Donald Trump or the United States, although Trump seemed to accept the denials of Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman and King Salman earlier in the week.
AP
He told reporters on Friday that he had found the "credible" investigation in Saudi Arabia.
Trump also denied having any commercial ties with Saudi Arabia, although he publicly boasted that Saudis had bought properties he owned at a rally in August 2015.
The president said he was apparently willing to believe the Saudi ruling family in an interview with The Washington Post late Saturday.
He told the post that there had been "deception" and "lies" on the part of the Saudis.
Petros Giannakouris / AP
A friend from Khashoggi described a massacre much more brutal than the official account given by Saudi Arabia.
"I talked to Turkish government officials and security officials and they said that Jamal was killed, I did not know what to do, I really could not answer." I called some colleagues, again security officials, to have them checked, "said his friend Turan Kislakci at ABC News on Wednesday." They said, "Yes, Turan, and let's go beyond that, he was killed in a very barbaric way. "I was shocked. They did not only kill him at the consulate, but also barbarously. "
According to Amnesty International, the 2008 investigation into the assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto set a precedent for the United States to be involved in Khashoggi's assassination. .
"An investigation into Khashoggi's enforced disappearance and possible assassination should be open to the letter, thoroughly, impartially and independently," Amnesty International said. "Secretary-General of the United Nations [António] Guterres should appoint a senior investigator with extensive experience in international investigations to lead the team. Once the investigation is complete, the Secretary General should issue a report on the overall findings, along with his recommendations for follow-up. "
L & # 39; U.N. Guterres was "deeply troubled" by the journalist's murder in a statement released Friday by a spokesperson, but did not pledge for a specific U.N. inquiry.
"The Secretary-General is deeply concerned by the confirmation of the death of Jamal Khashoggi and offers his condolences to Mr. Khashoggi's family and friends," said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the Secretary-General. "The Secretary-General stresses the need for a prompt, thorough and transparent investigation into the circumstances of Mr. Khashoggi's death and for ensuring that those responsible are fully responsible."
ABC News's Bottom Machine, Matt McGarry, Ian Pannell, Kirit Radia, Ben Gittleson and Julia Jacobo contributed to this report.
