On Monday 26/04/1441 AH corresponding to 23/12/2019, the National Society for Human Rights has welcomed the issuance of the preliminary ruling in the case of the death of the citizen Jamal Khashoggi. The verdict has decreed the killing of (five) of the accused defendants who are involved in the murder of the victim – may God have mercy on him – and the imprisonment for varying periods of a total of 24 years for three accused persons for covering them up for this crime and violating the regulations, and the acquittal of three others for not being found guilty of the public and private rights.
The Chairman of the Society, Dr. Muflih Al-Qahtani, has confirmed that this ruling confirms the Kingdom’s position on this issue, which was clear from the beginning as it called for the necessity of revealing the truth and punishing the perpetrators.
He added saying that the Society has attended the sessions of this trial since the beginning in the Criminal Court in Riyadh, and that the number of those referred to the trial reached (11) accused, including (5) defendants who were sentenced to death today. They have also allowed all the parties of the case who were accused, including the defendants, their attorney, a public prosecutor and plaintiffs, the right to submit what they have before locking the case and sentence.
Besides, the Chairman of the Society has indicated that these rulings issued today confirmed the keenness of the Saudi authorities, in light of the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, on this issue, which stipulated that every negligent or severely overlooked person was accounted for in a manner that achieves justice and preserves the rights of the victim’s family and stressed that this verdict closes the door in the face of anyone who tried to exploit this issue to offend the Kingdom’s reputation and leadership.
Moreover, the Chairman of the Society has indicated that this verdict is preliminary and may be contested before the Court of Appeal, and it included the imposition of the maximum criminal penalty on the accused who were proven involved in this case.
The Chairman of the Society has also added that it is time that the organized campaign that targeted the Saudi state as an entity to affect its reputation politically, economically and legally .
The hearings of this trial were attended by human rights bodies and foreign diplomats, and the children of the victim attended the ruling session today.