Jamal Khashoggi assassination: who is the man arrested in France?

Jamal Khashoggi was assassinated at the Saudi Arabian consulate in Turkey in 2018. MOHAMMED AL-SHAIKH AFP / File

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A suspect in the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was arrested in France on Tuesday morning, December 7.

He was about to fly to Riyadh when border police arrested him, RTL radio reported.

According to a Saudi official quoted by the Reuters agency, "there would be" error on the identity "in the press information. 

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The man arrested this Tuesday morning at Roissy Charles de Gaulle airport is said to be Khaled Alotaibi.

He was about to take a flight to Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia.

According to a source familiar with the matter, the man was the subject of an international arrest warrant issued by Turkey for murder.

The man was placed in judicial detention pending verification of his identity. 

Khaled Alotaibi is suspected of having participated in the commando involved in the assassination of journalist and Saudi oppositionist Jamal Khashoggi.

It was in 2018 at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

After denying the facts, Riyadh ended up saying that the murder was committed by Saudi agents who acted alone.

Eight convictions were handed down after an opaque trial.

The case sent shock waves across the world.

In the United States, where the Saudi journalist lived, the

CIA accused Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman

 of having validated the assassination.

The crown prince, strongly criticized until then, received an official visit from French President Emmanuel Macron a few days ago.

An "error on the identity", according to Riyadh

There is an "

identity error

" in the press information about this arrest in France, a Saudi official said on Tuesday.

Those convicted of the assassination "are

currently serving prison terms in Saudi Arabia,

" he added in a statement sent to Reuters following a request for comment.

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  • Saudi Arabia

  • France

  • Mohammed bin salman