Five get death sentence for murder of Jamal Khashoggi: Saudi Arabia prosecutor

Riyadh - Khashoggi had entered the Saudi consulate in Turkey on October 2, 2018. He didn't come out.

A court in Saudi Arabia on Monday sentenced five people to death for the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, who was murdered in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul last year.

Saudi Arabia's state-run Al-Ekhbariya TV channel reported that three others were sentenced to prison. All can appeal the verdicts.

State TV also reported that the Saudi attorney general's investigation showed that the crown prince's former top adviser, Saud Al Qahtani, had no proven involvement in the killing.

The court also found the Saudi consul-general in Istanbul, Mohammed Al Otaibi, not guilty. He and nine others who were not named were released from prison after the verdicts were announced, according to the state TV.

After holding nine sessions, the trial concluded that there was no previous intent to murder, according to state TV. The trial was attended by a handful of diplomats, but closed to the press and wider public.

• Saudi Arabia