Jamal Khashoggi's fiancee Hatice Cengiz slams Trump as 'devoid of moral foundation' one month after Khashoggi's killing
- Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed as part of a premeditated plot in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul exactly one month ago.
- His fiancée, Hatice Cengiz, is calling on the international community and the US to step up efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice.
- Cengiz criticized the Trump administration's approach to the investigation, accusing it of taking a position that is "devoid of moral foundation."
Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed as part of a premeditated plot in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul exactly one month ago, and his fiancée is calling for the perpetrators to face justice as Riyadh stalls and evades questions amid an ongoing investigation.
"It has been exactly one month since my fiancée, the celebrated journalist Jamal Khashoggi, entered Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul never to return. Today is also United Nations International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists. The coincidence is tragic and painful," Hatice Cengiz wrote in an op-ed for The Washington Post, for which Khashoggi wrote.
Cengiz is urging the international community - especially the US government - to ramp up pressure on the Saudi government to ensure justice.
"It is now up to the international community to bring the perpetrators to justice. Of all nations, the United States should be leading the way," Cengiz said. "The country was founded on the ideals of liberty and justice for all, the First Amendment enshrining the ideals personified by Jamal."
President Donald Trump has largely stood by the Saudis since Khashoggi went missing, facing criticism for being too soft in his response. Cengiz said the Trump administration has taken a position that is "devoid of moral foundation."
"Some have approached this through the cynical prism of self-interest - statements framed by fear and cowardice; by the fear of upsetting deals or economic ties. Some in Washington are hoping this matter will be forgotten with simple delaying tactics," Cengiz said. "But we will continue to push the Trump administration to help find justice for Jamal. There will be no cover-up."
Cengiz said she is not "naive" and understands governments are driven by "mutual interests," but she questioned what "moral authority" they would be left with if they stand idly by and do nothing about Khashoggi's killing.
She said those who ordered her fiancée's murder should also be prosecuted, even if "they stand in the highest political office."
"We are now going through a test of humanity. And it requires leadership. The biggest responsibility lies on the heads of the governments," Cengiz said. "I demand justice for my beloved Jamal. We must all send a clear message that authoritarian regimes cannot kill journalists ever again."
When Khashoggi entered the Saudi consulate, he intended to obtain documents that would allow him to marry Cengiz, who waited outside for roughly 11 hours. Khashoggi never came out.
Riyadh's narrative on what happened to Khashoggi, who was often critical of the Saudi government in his writing, has shifted multiple times.
The Saudi government denied any involvement in Khashoggi's disappearance for nearly three weeks before acknowledging he was killed in the consulate. The Saudis at first claimed Khashoggi was accidentally killed as a result of a fistfight, but eventually said his death was premeditated.
The Saudis have still not revealed who ordered the killing, nor have they revealed what happened to Khashoggi's body.