Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — Saudi Arabia has categorically rejected the report submitted to the United States Congress regarding the heinous murder of Saudi citizen Jamal Khashoggi, calling the assessment in the report pertaining to the Kingdom’s leadership negative, false and unacceptable.

In a statement on Friday, the foreign ministry said the report contained inaccurate information and conclusions.

“The ministry reiterates what was previously announced by the relevant authorities in the Kingdom, that this was an abhorrent crime and a flagrant violation of the Kingdom’s laws and values,” the statement read.

“This crime was committed by a group of individuals that have transgressed all pertinent regulations and authorities of the agencies where they were employed. The relevant authorities in the Kingdom took all possible measures within our legal system to ensure that these individuals were properly investigated, and to ensure that justice was served. The concerned individuals were convicted and sentenced by the courts in the Kingdom, and these sentences were welcomed by the family of Jamal Khashoggi.” the statement added.

Dismissing the report as unjustified and inaccurate, the ministry also said: “It is truly unfortunate that this report, with its unjustified and inaccurate conclusions, is issued while the Kingdom had clearly denounced this heinous crime, and the Kingdom’s leadership took the necessary steps to ensure that such a tragedy never takes place again. The Kingdom rejects any measure that infringes upon its leadership, sovereignty, and the independence of its judicial system.”

The ministry added that Saudi Arabia and the United States is a robust and enduring partnership. This partnership has thrived for nearly eight decades on the basis of mutual respect, and the institutions in both countries have worked diligently to deepen these ties in all aspects, through increased cooperation and consultations to bolster security and stability in the region and the world. We look forward to maintaining the enduring foundations that have shaped the framework of the resilient strategic partnership between the Kingdom and the US.