Overview
- The Paris antiterrorism prosecutor confirmed Saturday that a judge from the crimes‑against‑humanity unit will investigate NGO complaints accusing Mohammed bin Salman of complicity in torture and enforced disappearance tied to Jamal Khashoggi’s 2018 killing.
- The assignment follows a May 11 appeals court ruling that admitted the groups’ case and said the acts could fall under crimes against humanity, instructing the judge to examine whether the murder was carried out under a concerted state plan against dissidents.
- Trial International and Reporters Without Borders are recognized as civil parties in the case, while Khashoggi’s organization Dawn was excluded but called the decision an important step toward justice.
- Prosecutors said they took note of the ruling but stood by their stricter view of who may bring such complaints, as RSF’s lawyer urged an independent judge to identify criminal responsibility.
- Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist living in the United States, was killed inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018 and U.S. intelligence has linked the crown prince to the killing, with the body never recovered.