UK, France, Germany call for probe into missing Saudi journalist

The Foreign Ministers of the United Kingdom, France and Germany on Sunday expressed serious concerns about the fate of a missing Saudi Arabian journalist and called for an investigation into the case.

Jamal Khashoggi disappeared after visiting the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2 and Turkish authorities have speculated that he was either killed or kidnapped there, while Saudi Arabia has denied the accusations, reports Efe news.

In a joint statement, Jeremy Hunt, Jean-Yves Le Drian and Heiko Maas said: "There needs to be a credible investigation to establish the truth about what happened, and - if relevant - to identify those bearing responsibility for the disappearance of Khashoggi and ensure that they are held to account.

"We encourage joint Saudi-Turkish efforts in that regard and expect the Saudi government to provide a complete and detailed response. We have conveyed this message directly to the Saudi authorities," the statement added.

Turkish media have widely reported that intelligence officials believe Khashoggi was murdered and dismembered inside the consulate by a Saudi hit squad.

Earlier on Sunday, the Saudi stock market plunged nearly seven percent amid fears of imminent sanctions by the US after President Donald Trump threatened a severe punishment if the kingdom was found responsible for the journalist's disappearance.

The possible murder of Khashoggi, a US permanent resident in self-imposed exile who had written critically against the Saudi monarchy, has generated a far stronger international backlash against the kingdom than the ongoing Saudi-led war in Yemen, which has caused widespread famine in the already impoverished Arab country.

--IANS

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