An Iranian lawmaker suggested “trying” Saudi Arabia in an international court over its alleged involvement in the October 2 killing of journalist and Sunni kingdom critic Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul, Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency (AA) reported Friday, citing the semiofficial Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA).
“Saudi Arabia has shown its true face with the killing of this journalist and political activist,” Alaeddin Boroujerdi, a member of parliament (MP) in Iran, reportedly said.
The MP described the incident a “scandal of historic proportions,” and “went on to assert that the Saudi leadership should be tried before an international tribunal for its alleged role in the murder,” AA notes.
Turkish authorities have determined that officials from the Sunni kingdom killed and dismembered Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
After repeatedly walking back its account of what happened, Saudi Arabia recently conceded the allegedly heinous killing of Washington Post columnist Khashoggi in their consulate in Istanbul was premeditated.
The death has triggered a diplomatic crisis between the West and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), who many in the international community had until the incident considered an ambitious reformer.
AA points out:
In hopes of defusing the international furor over the journalist’s demise, Saudi King Salman sacked the deputy head of the Saudi intelligence agency (and a top aide), while also ordering the arrest of 18 individuals suspected of involvement in the case.
On Sunday, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir admitted that Khashoggi was killed inside the consulate, but insisted that Mohamed bin Salman – Saudi Arabia’s high-profile crown prince – had been unaware of it.
On Wednesday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani claimed that Saudi Arabia murdered Khashoggi with the consent and “protection” of the United States, without providing any evidence.
“No one would imagine that in today’s world and a new century that we would witness such an organized murder and a system would plan out such a heinous murder,” the anti-American Iranian leader declared.
“I don’t think that a country would dare commit such a crime without the protection of America,” he added.
On Tuesday, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) acknowledged that Iranian have mostly held their tongues on criticizing the alleged involvement of its enemy Saudi Arabia in the killing of Kashoggi until recently.
Iran was content with “getting out of the way of an adversary that is shooting itself in the foot,” Ali Vaez of the International Crisis Group told RFE/RL.
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