A Saudi Arabian assassination squad cut off journalist Jamal Khashoggi's fingers as they tortured and killed him in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul two weeks ago, The Times reported on Wednesday, citing claims by pro-Turkish government newspapers.
The new details emerged as part of a gruesome description of severe torture and dismemberment of Khashoggi, a journalist who had been critical of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The report intensified the international outrage over the disappearance of the Saudi dissident.
A Turkish source told Middle East Eye that it took seven minutes for the assassination squad to kill Khashoggi.
The leaks in the Turkish press give the strongest indications yet that Khashoggi was murdered and dismembered inside the consulate. Sabah, a paper owned by the brother of Turkey President Recep Erdogan’s son-in-law, reported that samples of six different sets of DNA were collected from inside the consulate.
The leaks, which are almost certain to have come from Erdogan’s advisers, show an apparent stiffening in Ankara’s position on the case after President Donald Trump sought to distance himself from the worldwide condemnation of Saudi Arabia, saying the kingdom had been prematurely accused of murdering Khashoggi.
Unnamed sources have said that Saudi Arabia was about to claim the killing happened during an interrogation that went wrong. If that was an explanation meant to save face, it appears Erdogan is trying to scuttle that with the Turkish leaks, according to the Times.
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