European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mujerini on Wednesday called for clarity on the circumstances of the death of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi and the need to hold all those responsible for the crime accountable, saying that this does not mean seeking revenge or looking for a scapegoat.
This came during a joint press conference with Colombian President Ivan Doki and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker in Brussels.
Mujerini stressed that the European countries have taken a common position of relations with Saudi Arabia, by demanding a comprehensive and transparent investigation into the case of Khashoggi's death within his consulate in Istanbul, and continued work with Brussels international partners in this regard.
Recognition and questioning
The comments came after Riyadh admitted last Saturday that Khashoggi was killed inside the consulate, saying that the incident was caused by a quarrel and the tangle of hands led to his death.
Riyadh later announced the arrest of 18 Saudis for questioning in connection with the case, while the whereabouts of Khashoggi's body have not yet been revealed.
The story was widely dubbed by Western countries and international human rights organizations and contradicted with Saudi non-official accounts, including an official statement that a team of 15 Saudis were sent to meet Khashoggi, anesthetize and kidnap him before he was strangled in a fight when he resisted.
The Saudi monarch was released from office, including Ahmed Asiri, deputy head of intelligence, and adviser to the Royal Court Saud al-Qahtani, and decided to form a committee headed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to restructure the general intelligence.