By Basak Akbulut
ISTANBUL (AA) – A Turkish court on Thursday decided to transfer its case on the 2018 murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi to Saudi judicial authorities.
On March 31, a Turkish prosecutor in Istanbul asked the court to finalize proceedings in Turkiye and transfer the case to Saudi judicial authorities.
Arguing for the transfer, the prosecutor said no testimony can be taken from the 26 Saudi nationals charged in the case, nor can they be arrested, as they are not on Turkish soil, so the case would remain inconclusive.
Agreeing with this request, the court decided to transfer the case to Saudi authorities in Riyadh.
Hatice Cengiz, the fiancee of the late journalist, along with her lawyer, attended the hearing on transferring the case.
Khashoggi’s case was being heard in Istanbul, as the journalist disappeared after entering the Saudi Consulate in the Turkish metropolis on Oct. 2, 2018.
The case led to months of headlines and calls for justice for the journalist, who was based in the US from 2017 onwards.