By Anietie anii-bassey
French judicial authorities have opened a new legal chapter in the international fallout surrounding the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi after a Paris appeals court ruled that a complaint targeting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman can proceed to examination by an investigating judge.
France’s national anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office, known as the PNAT, confirmed Saturday that the case will now be transferred to a judge specializing in crimes against humanity following a ruling issued by the Paris Court of Appeal on May 11.
The complaint was originally filed by rights organizations Trial International and Reporters Without Borders, which accuse the Saudi crown prince of complicity in torture and enforced disappearance linked to Khashoggi’s 2018 killing inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.
Khashoggi, a Saudi dissident and columnist for The Washington Post, was killed after entering the consulate on October 2, 2018, to obtain documents related to his upcoming marriage.
Turkish investigators later concluded that he was murdered by a Saudi team sent to Istanbul specifically for the operation. According to multiple intelligence assessments and investigative reports, his body was dismembered after the killing and has never been recovered.
The Paris Court of Appeal ruled that the complaint submitted by the two rights groups was legally admissible because the possibility that the case could fall under crimes against humanity could not be excluded at this stage of the proceedings. The court stated that allegations involving torture and enforced disappearance were serious enough to justify further judicial examination.
The PNAT acknowledged the ruling while also emphasizing that the decision did not invalidate the prosecutor’s previous interpretation of French procedural law concerning whether nongovernmental organizations were entitled to file such a complaint as civil parties.
The opening of a judicial inquiry does not mean that Crown Prince Mohammed has been formally charged with a crime, nor does it indicate that French judges have determined his guilt or direct responsibility.
Instead, the move allows an investigating magistrate to study the evidence, determine whether further legal action is warranted and decide whether additional investigative steps should be taken.
The legal complaint was first submitted in 2022 during a visit by the Saudi crown prince to France, a trip that sparked criticism from human rights groups who accused Western governments of rehabilitating his international image despite unresolved questions surrounding Khashoggi’s death.
Following the murder, Prince Mohammed faced widespread condemnation and diplomatic isolation from many Western leaders and governments. However, over the past several years, Saudi Arabia’s strategic importance in global energy markets, regional security and international investment has led to a gradual restoration of diplomatic relations between Riyadh and Western capitals.
Despite repeated denials from the Saudi crown prince that he personally ordered the killing, the case continues to shadow his international standing. Mohammed bin Salman has acknowledged that the murder occurred under his authority as Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, but he has denied direct involvement in planning or approving the operation.
American intelligence agencies previously concluded that the crown prince approved the mission that led to Khashoggi’s death, an assessment that intensified global scrutiny of the Saudi leadership. Saudi officials have consistently rejected those conclusions.
Saudi Arabia later conducted a closed-door trial over the killing, announcing prison sentences for several individuals allegedly involved in the operation. However, human rights organizations, international observers and press freedom advocates criticized the proceedings as lacking transparency and failing to hold senior officials accountable.
The case has remained a symbol of broader concerns over press freedom, political repression and the treatment of dissidents in the Middle East. Khashoggi, once close to the Saudi establishment, had become increasingly critical of the kingdom’s leadership before leaving the country and writing opinion columns that challenged the Saudi government’s policies.
Rights advocates say the decision by French courts to allow judicial examination of the complaint could revive international attention on the case at a time when many governments have sought to move past the controversy in favor of strengthening diplomatic and economic ties with Saudi Arabia.
The investigation also highlights France’s ability under certain legal frameworks to examine allegations of grave international crimes, even when they involve foreign officials and events that took place outside French territory.
For supporters of the complaint, the court’s ruling represents an opportunity to continue pursuing accountability for one of the most high-profile political killings in recent years, a case that triggered global outrage and raised enduring questions about justice, impunity and the protection of journalists worldwide.
Original article
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