Khashoggi’s former editor says anniversary of death ‘particularly painful’ this year

The Washington Post journalist who was Jamal Khashoggi’s editor when he was killed four years ago Sunday said this year’s anniversary was “particularly painful” given recent developments, such as President Biden paying a visit to the crown price suspected of ordering Khoshoggi’s murder.

“I live with the horror and injustice of his murder, and the callousness and impunity of our world ‘leaders’ every day,” wrote Karen Attiah, who is now a Washington Post columnist,

“But this year has been particularly painful. The Biden administration has made its fist-bump peace with MBS. The Turks have shut down their investigation. Outlets like the Atlantic are writing both-sides apologia pieces for MBS, praising his reform,” she added.

Biden drew sharp criticism when he fist-bumped Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during his visit to oil-rich Saudi Arabia in July amid spiraling gas prices.

In late March, a Turkish prosecutor requested halting the trial in absentia of 26 suspects in Khoshoggi’s murder. That same month, the Atlantic published an in depth profile of bin Salman, interviewing the crown prince at his palace.

Attiah also noted the U.S. continues to sell arms to Riyadh, which is fueling a civil war in Yemen.

“Four years after Jamal’s murder, U.S still sells billions of dollars in arms to the Saudi government — a regime which carries out mass executions, is still bombing Yemen, and sentences people to decades prison for … tweeting.”

Attiah linked to a story about Salma al-Shehab, a university student sentenced to 34 years in prison in August over her twitter account, in which she followed and retweeted activists and dissidents.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday said the U.S. was mourning Khashoggi’s death and that “we’ll continue to stand with and support human rights defenders, journalists, and others to protect fundamental freedoms worldwide.”

Khashoggi, a U.S.-based journalist who wrote opinion pieces critical of Saudi Arabia, was brutally murdered in 2018 at a Saudi consulate in Turkey.

U.S. intelligence concluded that Khashoggi’s death was likely ordered by bin Salman, but Saudi Arabia denies the claim. The regime sentenced eight hitmen who they said orchestrated the attack to prison.

Turkey’s move to end the trial of additional suspects came as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was set to meet with the Crown Prince to discuss trade and investment prospects.

“I have appreciated all of you who continue to keep Jamal’s name and case alive,” Attiah tweeted. “I still have so much more to say about it all — and will do so in time.”