Adel al-Jubeir on the Details of Jamal Khashoggi’s Murder

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR: Adel al-Jubeir, welcome to the program.

AL-JUBEIR: Thank you. Great to be here.

AMANPOUR: The Special Repertoire has called it a deliberate premedicated execution, the killing of Jamal Khashoggi by the state, a state killing. Is the state ready to claim responsibility?

AL-JUBEIR, SAUDI ARABIAN MINISTER OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS: We disagree with her conclusions. We don`t believe she has a mandate. We believe that her report is flawed. We believe there are internal contradictions in the report. We believe it was based on meager reporting and anonymous sources. We believe that her description of the trials in Saudi Arabia, calling them secret is not correct. We have representatives of the permanent five countries as well as Turkey, as well as NGOs from Saudi Arabia at those trials. The investigation is ongoing and continuing and the trials are continuing. We believe that the Saudis are the ones who should lead the investigation and the Saudi judicial system is the one who should adjudicate this.

AMANPOUR: Now, you say that she doesn`t have credibility and that it`s extrajudicial and you have complained about her complaints. This is what she actually says.

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AGNES CALLAMARD, U.N. SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON EXTRAJUDICIAL EXECUTIONS: My inquiry focused, first and foremost, on the responsibilities of the state. I think it is important to insist upon the fact that the killing of Mr. Khashoggi was a state killing. That the killing and the circumstances of the killing meant that a number of other violations took place, including violations of international law for which the State of Saudi Arabia is responsible.

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AMANPOUR: Do you take that seriously?

AL-JUBEIR: We have made it very clear that this is a rogue operation that was not authorized. The king ordered an investigation. The investigation led to exposing the truth of the fact that Khashoggi was murdered in the Saudi consulate by officials who exceeded authority and had no mandate to do so. Those individuals were arrested and they were charged and they are facing trial as we speak.

AMANPOUR: Do you accept what even your allies say that there is actually no way something like this could have happened without the sign-off, the knowledge of the highest authorities? And while this report does not hold Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at all responsible or talks about his responsibility, there are calls for more investigation into that fact?

AL-JUBEIR: We have never had an instant like this in the history Saudi Arabia. This is not how we operate. The Abu Ghraib happened that the president of the United States knew about it. Iran–Contra happened, that President Reagan knew about it. People exceed their authorities unfortunately and this was a great tragedy and a painful tragedy for Saudi Arabia and for Jamal Khashoggi`s family. The investigations are ongoing, the trial is ongoing, and those who committed this crime will be punished. We have also reviewed the procedures of our intelligence service to ensure that mechanisms are put in place to prevent something like this from happening again.