British Prime Minister Theresa May called Monday for the “truth” about the murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul earlier this month. “I am sure the whole House will join me in condemning the killing of Jamal Khashoggi in the strongest possible terms. We must get to the truth of what happened,” Theresa May told parliament.
May was the first European leader to address the issue after Saudi Arabia admitted Saturday that Khashoggi was killed inside the consulate in what it said was a “brawl”. British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt Monday called this explanation unacceptable. “The claim that Mr #Khashoggi died in a fight does not amount to a credible explanation,” Hunt tweeted.
“There remains an urgent need to establish exactly what happened and anyone found responsible for any offence must be held fully accountable.” Their remarks came a day before Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is due to address ruling party lawmakers in an address he has vowed will reveal the “naked truth” about the case. Khashoggi entered the Saudi consulate on October 2.
Riyadh initially said that he had left on his own steam, and was missing. Saudi authorities later admitted he was killed in the building and said 18 Saudi nationals were detained. In a joint statement, Britain, France, and Germany said Sunday Riyadh must clarify how Khashoggi died, adding the account must “be backed by facts to be considered credible”.
