Khashoggi murder suspect is arrested in France: Former member of Saudi Royal Guard is held while waiting to board a flight to Riyadh
One of the suspected killers of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi has been arrested by French police.
Khalid Al-Otaibi was detained at Charles de Gaulle airport near Paris today as he prepared to board a flight to Riyadh.
French RTL Radio said the person arrested was a former Royal Guard of Saudi Arabia who is believed to have been involved in the killing of Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October 2018.
One of the suspected killers of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi (pictured) has been arrested by French police
France acted on a warrant issued by Turkey in 2019.
Al-Otaibi, 33, has been named as one of the 'commando' group who took part in the brutal killing.
The suspect was on the Interpol red list but was travelling under his real name, RTL said.
He will appear before a judge within hours where he will be offered the choice of being flown to Turkey or contesting his warrant and awaiting extradition in custody.
He was named among 17 people sanctioned by the US for their role in the murder.
It comes just days after Emmanuel Macron flew to the UAE to meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Khashoggi, a prominent Saudi who lived in self-exile in the United States and wrote for The Washington Post, was strangled by a hit squad in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, and his body dismembered.
The journalist had once been close to the Saudi royal family but before his death had written critical pieces in the Washington Post about Mohammed bin Salman (pictured) and his policies
The journalist had once been close to the Saudi royal family but before his death had written critical pieces in the Washington Post about bin Salman and his policies.
The crown prince came under worldwide suspicion over Khashoggi's death and a UN investigator's report in 2019 said there was credible evidence of his involvement.
Joe Biden's administration released a declassified report by intelligence earlier this year that concluded bin Salman 'approved' the operation – but took no action against the crown prince himself.
The ruler has denied involvement in the murder but Riyadh eventually admitted that Khashoggi was killed in a 'rogue' extradition operation gone wrong.
Five men were given the death penalty for the journalist's murder but had their sentences commuted to 20 years in prison after being forgiven by Khashoggi's family.
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