The body of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was dismembered and destroyed after he was strangled in the consulate general of Saudi Arabia in Istanbul, the Istanbul prosecutor's office said in a statement Wednesday.
"Khashoggi, in accordance with the [murderers'] predetermined plan, was strangled as soon as he entered the consulate general, after which his body was dismembered and destroyed," the statement said.
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The statement comes after earlier reports that Saudi Arabia's top prosecutor, Saud Al Mojeb, arrived in Istanbul on Sunday. He has met with Istanbul's chief prosecutor Irfan Fidan twice, and inspected the Saudi consulate. Earlier in the day, however, the Hurriyet newspaper claimed that Turkish officials expressed "a deep distrust" toward Al Mojeb when he refused to answer questions regarding the place where Khashoggi's body is.
Khashoggi, known for his criticism of Saudi policies, had been working as a columnist for The Washington Post. The journalist was last seen entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2. On October 19, Saudi Arabia admitted the journalist had died during a fight inside the consulate. Riyadh said 18 people had been arrested over their suspected involvement in the incident.
