Khashoggi’s wife says White House assured her husband’s murder would come up in Saudi meeting

The widow of murdered Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi says the Biden administration promised to bring up her husband’s death during his visit to Saudi Arabia later this week. 

Hanan Khashoggi told Spectrum News Wednesday that she’s sure the president will bring up during key meetings U.S. intelligence that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approved Jamal Khashoggi’s 2018 killing, saying the administration assured her that her husband’s case would be discussed.

Jamal Khashoggi was a U.S.-based journalist critical of the crown prince. Intel released last year by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence found the crown prince approved Khashoggi’s murder at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.

“This is [an] opportunity for me to thank President Biden and his administration. He did keep his promise by bringing [the] report of intelligence out in February last year, and he did take action, assertive action against [those involved] in my husband tragedy,” Hanan Khashoggi said in her Spectrum News appearance.

Khashoggi called Biden’s visit “practical” diplomatically, adding that “Jamal would not like it” if the diplomacy was disrupted.

Biden reacted to the finding in 2021 by calling Saudi Arabia a “pariah” and renewing his human rights policy focus. But on Thursday, he did not commit to bringing up Khashoggi’s killing to the crown prince during his controversial trip to the country.

Pressed further, the president added, “I always bring up human rights. But my position on Khashoggi has been so clear. If anyone doesn’t understand it, in Saudi Arabia or anywhere else, then they haven’t been around for a while.”

On Fox News’s “America’s Newsroom” Thursday, Khashoggi defended her late husband’s legacy and commitment to Saudi Arabia. 

“Jamal Khashoggi was faithful to the Royal Family, and he said it out loud, and he was honest with his statement,” she said.  

“If I see the member of Royal Family, I will tell them they will regret.”

Biden is slated to meet with the crown prince on Saturday.