A Turkish court has decided to hand over the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi to Saudi Arabia.
The judges decided on Thursday in Istanbul that the murder trial would be transferred to the Gulf state.
The proceedings in Turkey are thus suspended for the time being.
The plaintiff announced an appeal.
The journalist Khashoggi was killed on October 2, 2018 in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul by a special command from Riyadh.
The Saudi government only acknowledged the killing after international pressure.
A UN special rapporteur found evidence that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman may be personally responsible.
According to US intelligence, bin Salman approved the operation to capture or kill Khashoggi.
The Turkish judiciary has been hearing the case since July 2020. In the trial in Istanbul, 26 Saudi citizens were accused in absentia, including an ex-adviser to the crown prince and the former deputy chief of intelligence.