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Saudi Journalist Jamal Khashoggi Was Strangled in Premeditated Attack, Says Turkish Prosecutor

Turkey’s public prosecutor said Jamal Khashoggi was “strangled as soon as he entered the consulate” in Istanbul, per “premeditated plans,” the Washington Post reports.

Khashoggi, a Saudi dissident, was killed on Oct. 2, sparking outrage around the globe. While Turkish officials claim to have audio evidence of his murder, Saudi Arabia has been elusive in providing a clear explanation of the journalist’s death, most recently stating that rogue operatives killed Khashoggi in a fight.

Irfan Fidan, the Turkish prosecutor, provided the clearest description yet in his statements Wednesday, saying that after strangulation, Khashoggi’s body was then “subsequently destroyed by being dismembered, once again confirming the planning of the murder.”

The prosecutor’s statement comes just as his Saudi counterpart departed for Riyadh, following two days of attempted cooperation between the nations. According to the Post, however, Saudi prosecutor Saud al-Mojeb did not provide Turkish officials with the location of Khashoggi’s body or the “local collaborator” they claim helped dispose of the intact body.

Fidan also requested the extradition of the 18 Saudi suspects arrested in connection with Khashoggi’s death, but Saudi officials maintain the suspects will be tried in domestic courts.

The lack of progress on the joint investigation undermines Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s previous statement that the two nations intend to work together, despite others “trying to seize this painful situation to create a rift between Saudi Arabia and Turkey.”

The crown prince has denied any part in Khashoggi’s killing, although a couple of his closest aides were among those fired following the murder.