The Turkish fiancée of murdered Saudi journalist and dissident Jamal Khashoggi this week denounced Saudi Arabia’s human rights record during a visit to Italy and called for action to bring those responsible for the killing to justice. She also said she is “heartbroken” the Italian Super Cup was being played in Saudi Arabia.
Speaking in Turkish at a press conference this week at the Foreign Press Association, Hatice Cengiz said that more than a year after Khashoggi’s death, no European country had yet done anything about this terrible and unacceptable killing.
Cengiz said she asked Italian senators how it was acceptable that no one was punished for the killing. She also asked if they were really prepared to just to let it go away.
“This is something really embarrassing for all of mankind,” she said.
Khashoggi was murdered in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2, 2018, where he had gone to obtain documents needed to get married to Cengiz. Weeks after Khashoggi failed to leave the consulate, the Saudis admitted he was dead.
Cengiz said that five people were sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia for the murder, but that no information has been made available as to who they are and or what were charged with.
Italian Senator Emma Bonino pledged that action would be taken by Italy, including possibly requesting a boycott of the G-20, scheduled to be held in Saudi Arabia in 2020.
“The best way to go forward and putting a stop to impunity but without revenge is an international commission of inquiry to really understand what happened and who organized this, under what political mandate and political decision,” Bonino said.
On December 22, an Italian Super Cup soccer match between Juventus and Lazio, is scheduled to be played at the King Saud University stadium in Riyadh. Cengiz said she was “heartbroken” that, given Saudi Arabia’s human rights record, the game is proceeding.
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