Khashoggi killers sentences reduced in ‘parody of justice’

Concerns have been raised over accountability for human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia after five death sentences were reduced for those said to be involved in the extra-judicial killing of journalist and Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi.
The 2018 murder and dismemberment of Washington Post journalist Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul shocked the world, and has often been cited as a key reason for potential investors and partners to avoid working with Saudi Arabia on projects such as the $500bn Neom megacity project.
Among those to abandon their support of Neom were advisors Daniel L Doctoroff and architect Norman Foster, who parted ways with the project after the journalist’s killing.
This latest development may do little to reassure others about working with Neom.
State media in Saudi Arabia reported that five people had their death sentences reduced to 20-year prison terms over the killing, while three others received seven to 10 years in jail.
Concerns were raised after Khashoggi’s sons said in May that they “pardoned” the killers of their father. UN spokesperson Rupert Colville called the “pardoning” a “parody of justice”, suggesting they may have been coerced into making the decision. Despite this, he also noted the UN’s position of opposition to the death penalty.
Colville said: “This is case where there has not been proper transparency in the justice process, those responsible should be prosecuted and given sentences commensurate with the crime.
“There is a whole issue of transparency and accountability in the case.”
Human rights groups have criticised the trial due to the fact that there was little transparency and that no senior officials were held to account for the killing.
Khashoggi’s fiancee also denounced the verdict.
The prosecutor’s office said the announcement “closes the case forever”. 
Khashoggi was a long-term critic of the Saudi regime, and lived in exile in the United States. He left the kingdom during a purge of human rights activists and other critics of the regime by de facto ruler crown prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS).
MBS has previously noted that the murder happened “under my watch”, but bodies including the UN have also noted “credible evidence” that he and other senior Saudis were liable for the murder, which many believe he knew of in advance.
Agnes Callamard, the UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, said of the new trial “the responsibility of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has not even been addressed”.