Newly released transcripts detail the moments leading up to the murder of Washington Post reporter Jamal Khashoggi, which reportedly took place on Oct. 2, 2018, inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.
The transcript, obtained by Turkey’s intelligence agency, details a conversation between the 15-member team of reportedly rogue Saudi officials discussing how to handle Khashoggi’s body.
Upon his arrival at the consulate, Khashoggi was told to send a text to his son, telling his son that he should not to worry if he didn’t hear from him.
When Khashoggi refused to do this, Maher Abdulaziz Mutreb said, “Help us, so that we can help you. Because in the end, we will take you to Saudi Arabia. And if you don’t help us, you know what will happen in the end.”
The Deseret News chose not to include more details of Khashoggi’s murder, but the transcript is available here.
Details of the transcript were already published in a United Nations report in June. The report also alleged that Saudi Arabia is responsible for the killing and said Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s possible role in the killing should be investigated, according to The Los Angeles Times.
Saudi officials initially gave various shifting accounts of Khashoggi’s disappearance before eventually settling on the explanation that he was killed by rogue officials. Saudi Arabia has stated that the U.N. report has “many unfounded accusations.”
President Donald Trump dismissed reports of the investigation, mentioning that he had not brought the issue up with the Crown Prince. According to NBC News, the White House said the murder was being heavily investigated by everybody.
“We continue to urge the Saudi government to ascertain all the facts and hold those responsible for the murder accountable. We are awaiting conclusion of the criminal trial in Riyadh,” a State Department spokesperson told ABC News on Tuesday. “If additional facts come to light, we will consider further measures.”