Khashoggi family deny ‘settlement discussion’ with Saudi regime after journalist’s murder

The family of Jamal Khashoggi has said they have not discussed a settlement with the Saudi regime over the columnist’s murder, refuting claims made in the mainstream press that a major payout had been granted by Riyadh.

Speaking on behalf of the family, Khashoggi’s son Salah denied that any “settlement discussion” had taken place or is currently being discussed, in an English language statement published to Twitter on Wednesday. He added that those charged with committing the brutal murder were currently on trial and that they would “all be brought to justice and face punishment.”

Earlier in April the deceased journalist’s former employers at the Washington Post alleged that Khashoggi’s children, including Salah, had received homes worth millions of dollars in the months following their father’s murder, and were also in receipt of monthly stipends from Saudi authorities worth thousands of dollars.

Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist who fled the kingdom for self-imposed exile in 2017, wrote regularly for the Post with stories critical of the Saudi regime and its heir apparent, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. His murder inside Saudi Arabia’s Istanbul consulate by a hit-team in October last year sent shockwaves around the world, shining an uncomfortable spotlight on the young ruler and his inner circle.

The kingdom first denied any knowledge of Khashoggi's death, later admitting that his death was caused by a rogue team. Saudi prosecutors have since charged 11 people over the murder, and is seeking the death penalty for five of them.

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