ISTANBUL, Turkey – Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos spoke at the vigil held today Wednesday in Turkey to commemorate the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi one year ago.
The late Post columnist’s fiancé also spoke to those gathered for what was billed as a “moment of unsilence.”
Khashoggi, a critic of Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, was murdered on October 2, 2018, at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
The Saudis have not disclosed what happened to his dismembered body.
Saudi officials have denied suspicions in the CIA that the Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman, known as MBS, ordered the killing.
Eleven people are on trial in Saudi Arabia in connection with his death.
Bezos told Khashoggi’s fiancé that her experience was “unimaginable.” He stated, “Hatice, no one should ever have to endure what you did. Right here where you are, you paced that street, for
hours, pacing and waiting. And he never came out. It is unimaginable and you need to know that you are in our hearts. We are here and you are not alone.”
Khashoggi’s fiancé took the stage after Bezos and said she is still seeking an answer on the whereabouts of his body. She said, “Glad to see you all here and with you all, I still seek justice. I want to know what happened to his body. I want his friends to be released from jail. I want that those in power are held accountable for their actions.”
A global outcry followed Khashoggi’s killing and led to U.S. Treasury sanctions on 17 Saudi individuals and a Senate resolution blaming Prince Mohammed.
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