Jamal Khashoggi’s Murder : A Saudi Court Overturns 5 Death Sentences, Jails Eight

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A Saudi court has overturned five death sentences over journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s murder in a final ruling that jailed eight defendants to between seven and 20 years, state media reported.

According to a news report by agency AFP, The ruling comes after Khashoggi’s sons announced in May that they had “pardoned” the killers, paving the way for a less severe punishment in a case that triggered an international outcry.

The verdict, which drew fresh condemnation from campaigners, underscores Saudi efforts to draw a line under the October 2018 murder as the kingdom seeks to reboot its international image ahead of November’s G20 summit in Riyadh.

“Five of the convicts were given 20 years in prison and another three were jailed for 7-10 years,” the official Saudi Press Agency said, citing a spokesman for the public prosecutor.

None of the defendants were named in what was described as the final court ruling on the murder, which tarnished the global reputation of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Khashoggi — a royal family insider turned critic — was killed and dismembered at the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul in October 2018, in a case that tarnished the reputation of the de facto ruler Prince Mohammed.