Saudi Arabia said on Saturday preliminary results of investigations showed US-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi died in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul after a fight with people he met there, state media reported, according to Reuters.
"The investigations are still underway and 18 Saudi nationals have been arrested," a statement from the Saudi public prosecutor said, adding Royal court adviser Saud al-Qahtani and deputy intelligence chief Ahmed Asiri have been sacked from their positions.
"The discussions between Jamal Khashoggi and those he met at the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul... devolved into a fistfight, leading to his death," the Saudi Press Agency said, citing the public prosecutor, according to AFP
Bloomberg says Saudi Arabia’s King Salman has removed a key royal adviser and a senior intelligence official as the public prosecutor said an initial probe shows that journalist and government critic Jamal Khashoggi died in the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul.
King Salman issued an order to remove Saud al-Qahtani, an adviser to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, according to the state-run Ikhbariya television. The monarch also relieved deputy intelligence chief Gen. Ahmed al-Assiri.
The public prosecutor said Khashoggi died after a fist fight in the consulate. He said 18 people have been detained in connection to the probe. Khashoggi disappeared after entering the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul Oct. 2. Saudi officials initially denied he had been harmed.
Associated Press quoted Saudi state-run media as saying that King Salman has a proposal to restructure kingdom's intelligence services after the Khashoggi killing.
CNN reports Saudi set up a commission to investigate and the crown prince will head it.
