US welcomes Saudi sentencing in Khashoggi killing, calls it an 'important step'

The United States on Monday welcomed the death sentences issued against five people over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and called the verdict an "important step" in achieving justice.

"This is an important step in holding those responsible for this terrible crime accountable, and we encourage Saudi Arabia to continue with a fair and transparent judicial process," a senior official of the US administration said, as cited by the Hill.

Five people were sentenced to death while three others were sent to jail by a Saudi court over the killing of Washington Post reporter Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey last year, the Kingdon's public prosecutor's office said.

Khashoggi, who was a vocal critic of the Saudi regime, was killed on October 2 last year in Turkey where he had gone to obtain paperwork certifying his divorce from his former wife Alaa Nassif in order to be able to marry his Turkish fiancee Hatice Cengiz.

His killing had brought international outrage and battered the reputation of Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.