The children of slain Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi have publicly forgiven their father’s killers, sparing five government agents the death penalty.
Salah Khashoggi, the late Saudi critic’s eldest son, posted the pardon in a tweet today.
According to Saudi law, a pardon from a son of a murder victim serves as a legal reprieve. Last December, five government agents convicted of Khashoggi’s murder at the kingdom’s Istanbul consulate in October 2018 were sentenced to death. Three other people allegedly involved in the case were given prison sentences.
Overall, 11 people were put on trial for Khashoggi’s murder, which sparked a global outcry and dealt a blow to the kingdom’s reputation.
The families of the convicts are now liable to pay blood money to Khashoggi’s family. If they can’t afford to make the payment, the state can pay instead, in addition to state money already given to the family.
A source last year told CNN that the family received millions of US dollars in cash and assets as compensation for the killing. Khashoggi’s sons denied that they received a blood money settlement from the Saudi government.
