A Turkish court has suspended the trial of 26 people accused of killing journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the absence of Saudi Arabia.
A panel of judges has ruled that the transfer of the case to Saudi Arabia is a step that has left human rights groups frustrated.
Mr. KhashoggiHis fiance, Hatice Genghis, says the two countries “could start a new chapter” but that “crime is still the same crime … and those who have committed crime have not changed.”
Mr. Khashoggi, a columnist for the Washington Post, was assassinated on October 2, 2018 at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
He went to the consulate to collect documents before his marriage to Mrs. Genghis, but never appeared.
Turkish intelligence officials believe he was killed and his body was dismembered with a bone saw. His remains were never found.
Discussing the decision taken on Thursday, Mrs. Genghis added: “We are facing an incident. We cannot say, ‘Yes, the countries are entering into an agreement, after which we will leave the case to Saudi Arabia as nothing happened.’
“If a deal is made, it shouldn’t be like that.”
Jamal Khashoggi emigrated to the United States and became a well-known critic of the Saudi regime, especially Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
His assassination drew widespread condemnation from Saudi Arabia, and many suggested that the orders came from the very top.
Ms Genghis said there was “an agreement” between Turkey and Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia has blamed a rogue group, operating without authorization, and executed five people in 2019. Those sentences have been reduced to prison terms.
At the time, Saudi state television announced that five of the eight defendants had been sentenced to 20 years in prison and two to 17 years in prison. One was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Turkey’s long-running relationship with Saudi Arabia has been strained, with its allies seeking to improve relations with the Middle East.
Turkish ministers have said the case will remain open in Turkey until they are satisfied that justice has been done in Saudi Arabia, but Riyadh says the 2019 trial there is final.
