Turkish media releases transcript of Khashoggi murder tape
Saudi journalist can be heard saying 'Release my arm! What do you think you are doing?,' before being beaten and tortured.
By URI BOLLAGA still image taken from CCTV video and obtained by TRT World claims to show Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi as he arrives at Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul, Turkey Oct. 2, 2018(photo credit: REUTERS)
Turkish media has released a transcript of Jamal Khashoggi's confrontation with his killers in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2.According to the transcript, the Saudi journalist can be heard saying, "Let go of my arm! What do you think you're doing?" before the situation turns into a verbal and then physical fight that ended in beating and torture of Khashoggi.Habertürk, the Turkish newspaper that reported the audio recordings, wrote that the killers can be heard accusing Khashoggi of treason and telling him that he will be held accountable.Saudi Arabia's official account of the events in the consulate has changed several times: from insisting that Khashoggi left the consulate after having received the paperwork for his upcoming marriage, to an argument that spun out of control, and finally an admission that a 15-man hit-squad, which was supposed to bring the journalist back to Saudi Arabia, instead murdered him in a rogue operation. Saudi officials have announced that they will seek the death penalty for five men involved in the killing and 11 others have been indicted.The article identifies one of the killers, who put on Khashoggi's clothes after his murder, as Mustafa al-Madani. Al-Madani was filmed in almost the same clothes a few hours later walking around Istanbul's famous Blue Mosque. The only difference is the shoes; Khashoggi's were too small for him, another detail apparent from the recording. Allegedly, Al-Madani can be heard saying that it is spooky to wear the clothes of a man they killed 20 minutes ago.Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was exonerated of the killing by a Saudi prosecutor, even though it is alleged that he knew of the operation, and possibly even gave the order to kill Khashoggi.The Trump administration meanwhile sanctioned 17 people for the crime, including close associates of the crown prince.
