Istanbul prosecutor's office issued arrest warrants for two Saudi nationals Ahmad Asiri and Saud al-Qahtani, both affiliated with the country's Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, over their alleged involvement in the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, AFP reported on Wednesday citing Turkish officials.
Asiri served as the deputy head of the Saudi General Intelligence Presidency and Al-Qahtani was the crown prince's media consultant. Both officials were fired in October after the Saudi government blamed them for the Khashoggi killing.
Khashoggi, who was one of the harshest critics of Bin Salman, was killed and dismembered in October in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. The Saudi government strongly denied any involvement in the crime, but media reported Asiri and Al-Qahtani were assigned by Bin Salman to organize the assassination of Khashoggi. Furthermore, a CIA probe reportedly concluded the murder was ordered by the crown prince.
