French Judge to Examine Complaint Against Saudi Crown Prince in Khashoggi Killing Case

A French investigating judge will examine a complaint accusing Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of involvement in the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi , France’s national anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office ( PNAT ) said on Saturday.

The move follows a May 11 ruling by the Paris Court of Appeal , which found the complaint filed by rights groups Reporters Without Borders and Trial International admissible under French law.

The case will now be handled by an investigating judge from France’s crimes against humanity unit . Under the French judicial system, investigating judges are independent magistrates empowered to determine whether sufficient evidence exists for criminal proceedings in serious international cases, including torture and enforced disappearance .

Khashoggi, a Saudi dissident and columnist for The Washington Post , was killed inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October 2018. His body was reportedly dismembered and has never been recovered. US intelligence agencies previously concluded that Prince Mohammed approved the operation, an allegation he has repeatedly denied.

The complaint accuses the Saudi crown prince of complicity in torture and enforced disappearance . The Paris Court of Appeal ruled that the possibility of the case qualifying as a crime against humanity could not be ruled out at this stage.

The complaint was first filed in 2022 during Prince Mohammed’s visit to France. While the opening of a judicial inquiry does not amount to formal charges, it allows French authorities to examine whether further legal action is warranted.

Saudi Arabia previously held a closed-door trial over the killing and said those responsible were punished, though rights groups criticised the proceedings as lacking transparency .