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RI calls for thorough probe

After you: President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo (right) welcomes Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir to Bogor Palace in West Java on Monday

Marguerite Afra Sapiie (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Tue, October 23, 2018

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RI calls for thorough probe

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fter you: President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo (right) welcomes Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir to Bogor Palace in West Java on Monday.(Reuters/Beawiharta)

Indonesia is hoping for a “transparent and thorough” investigation by Saudi Arabia into the death of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi amid an international outcry against the murder.

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo received a visit from Saudi Foreign Minister Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir at Bogor Palace on Monday, during which the two discussed various bilateral issues, including the Khashoggi case.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said the President had expressed concerns about Khashoggi’s alleged murder at the Saudi consulate general in Istanbul, Turkey.

“Indonesia expects the ongoing investigation to be transparent and thorough,” she said.

The death of Khashoggi, a prominent critic of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has drawn international criticism, which subsequently prompted the Islamic kingdom to admit that the journalist was killed inside the consulate — two weeks after denying any involvement in Khashoggi’s disappearance.

Riyadh said he died after talks at the consulate deteriorated into a “brawl and a fistfight”, leading to the arrest of 18 Saudi nationals and the sacking of top intelligence official Ahmad al-Assiri and royal media adviser Saud al-Qahtani — both top aides to the crown prince.

According to Turkish authorities, who claimed to own audio recording purportedly documenting Khashoggi’s death, the crown prince is reported to have direct connections to a team of 15 Saudi operatives who allegedly dismembered Khashoggi’s body inside the consulate.

Al-Jubeir, however, said on Sunday that the crown prince had not been aware of the case, adding that the killing was a “huge and grave mistake” and that anyone found responsible in the investigation would be held accountable for the murder, Reuters reported.

Several countries, including Germany, France and the United Kingdom have called for Saudi Arabia to clarify how Khashoggi died, showing skepticism over the kingdom’s account.

Al-Jubeir had also conveyed an explanation to Jokowi about the case in Monday’s meeting, Retno said, although she declined to elaborate when asked further about the issue.

Al-Jubeir is visiting Indonesia to meet his Indonesian counterpart for the first joint commission meeting between the two countries. The bilateral meeting will take place on Tuesday, Retno said.

The meeting is a follow-up to King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud’s March 2017 visit to Indonesia, during which the two countries signed a range of cooperation agreements.

During Monday’s meeting, Jokowi and Al-Jubeir discussed strengthening economic cooperation, such as trade and investment, including between Islamic countries, Retno said.

“The President expects Indonesia and Saudi Arabia to further improve economic cooperation, while Indonesia continues to push for the OIC to develop concrete cooperations,” Retno said, referring to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, which comprises Muslim-majority countries.

Jokowi also called for the protection of Indonesian nationals and migrant workers employed in Saudi Arabia, Retno said, adding that the President told Al-Jubeir that the two countries must continue to spread peace and tolerance as well as peaceful conflict resolutions, Retno said.

Turkey’s ruling party spokesman said on Monday that the murder of Khashoggi was “savagely planned”, the first official indication from Ankara it believes a plot was hatched in advance.

“This was extremely savagely planned, and we are faced with a situation where there has been a lot of effort to whitewash this,” Justice and Development Party (AKP) spokesman Omer Celik told reporters in Ankara as reported by AFP.

“This is a very complicated murder,” Celik said, warning that the Turkish government would not be drawn into speculation. “Everyone [else] can speculate but we cannot speculate.”

He also dismissed claims of “bargaining” between Saudi Arabia and Turkey as “immoral”.

Riyadh said on Saturday that Khashoggi, a former regime insider turned dissident, died during a “brawl” inside the consulate after a visit on Oct. 2 to get documents.

Turkish pro-government media has said the team interrogated, tortured and decapitated Khashoggi but a pro-government columnist Abdulkadir Selvi on Monday wrote in Hurriyet daily that Khashoggi was strangled to death before he was cut up into 15 pieces.

Celik pointed to CCTV footage published by CNN on Monday, which the American broadcaster claimed showed one of the Saudi officials acting as a body double for Khashoggi and leaving the consulate.

A senior Turkish official was quoted by CNN as saying the Saudi was “brought to Istanbul to act as a body double” for Khashoggi, adding: “This was a premeditated murder and the body was moved out of the consulate.”

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