Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi Arabian journalist who most recently lived in the U.S. has been killed in Istanbul, Turkey. In Saudi Arabia, Khashoggi served as an editor of the Saudi newspaper called Al Watan. This is a well-known platform for progressiveness in the country controlled under a strict monarchy, and therefore opposed to any progressive criticism. The fear of punishment was so great that Khashoggi fled the country and headed to the U.S., essentially exiling himself for his own safety. In the U.S., Khashoggi operated as a columnist for the Washington Post. 

In the past, Khashoggi had made clear his stance on the current state of leadership and action in the region, specifically the Saudi King, King Salman, and the crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman. He has a history of criticisms of the support the Saudis had sent to fight in Yemen, Syria, and Iraq.  This proxy war, defined as a war instigated and supported by a country that does not directly become militarily involved, is tearing up much of the Middle East and parts of Africa and plays a massive role in the current overall turmoil in the region. Throughout the conflict, the U.S. has explicitly supported the Saudis, while the Russians and many other powerful nations back Iran’s opposition to the Saudis. This tension creates disputes on what the proper action to resolve some of the many conflicts currently going on in the Middle East needs to be.

Khashoggi entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey on October 2, 2018. He was not seen leaving the building, nor did security cameras capture anything helpful to the investigation. After being reported missing for a sufficient amount of time he was declared dead, and suspicions began to arise. Uncertainty flooded world News outlets as speculation was being made on what truly happened to Jamal Khashoggi.

Slowly as more information came out, investigators started to believe in the possibility of audio linked to the murder from his Apple watch which was obtained by authorities through his iCloud account. People who claim to have heard the tape say they heard screaming and interactions between executioners and Khashoggi. Many speculate that this information may reveal what truly has happened to him. However, the behavior of Saudi Arabian officials was apparently disruptive to the investigation done by the Turks. Near this time, Mohammed bin Salman was heard addressing the situation as a, “…very, very painful incident for all Saudis and also everybody on this planet. It was unnecessary,” as well as a “heinous crime.”  He made sure to emphasize the fact he would bring the perpetrators to justice, despite the close connections investigators have identified between the Royal family and the suspected killers.

The little information that has been confirmed and publicized has revealed a truly disturbing story. Fresh paint was found in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, which was discovered to be hiding toxic materials that had gotten on the floor and walls.  It was first reported that he was killed in a fistfight inside the Consulate, however, as of November 2018, it has been confirmed that he had been killed inside of the building, cut up into pieces, and dissolved in acid, according to an advisor of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. 

Beyond this information, there is little confirmed on what has happened to Khashoggi, beyond the confirmation of a body double present in the building to aid in a possible cover-up, as well as the fact that he was a known “target” in Saudi Arabia. 

Trump’s reaction these events drew some criticism from the public, calling the case an example of “innocent until proven guilty.” After the story was gaining more and more international attention, President Trump promptly sent the Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo to meet with the Saudi leaders and accusations of human rights violations. The shady nature of the Saudi officials suggests that they played a significant role in the assassination, prompting possible sanctions of those associated with the crime as well as a statement from Trump calling the case, “The worst cover-up ever.” This switch in approach to pressure the Saudis are largely supported, with other countries imposing their own punishments, for example, the ceasing of gun sales from Australia, as well as U.K. officials deciding to revoke the visas of those believed to be involved. 

At the time of the publicization of this article, Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has come out and expressed his confidence that the “highest levels” of the Turkish government knew of and ordered the execution of Jamal Khashoggi. He also strongly believes that the Saudis are incapable of carrying out an unbiased and reliable investigation.  The future of what is going to happen regarding justice for the murder of Jamal Khashoggi is not clear, however as more time passes, the more his friends and family are able to build the courage to speak in support of him.