UK: Khashoggi fiancée asks Trump to help reveal 'truth'

By Ahmet Gurhan Kartal

LONDON (AA) – Murdered Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s fiancée has urged U.S. President Donald Trump to help reveal the truth behind his killing and ensure that justice is served.

Speaking at a memorial event held in London, Hatice Cengiz said Trump “should not pave the way for a cover-up of my fiancée’s murder.”

In an emotional address, she said she was deeply grateful for the solidarity of people all over the world.

“I am, however, disappointed in the actions of the leadership in many countries, particularly in the U.S."

Cengiz joined the event -- organized by not-for-profit press monitoring organization the Middle East Monitor and the Al Sharq Forum, an independent pro-democracy, non-partisan, non-profit think-tank focusing on the greater Middle East -- to remember Khashoggi.

“I am in London now, but I call upon all the men and women of the world: please stand up for justice!” Hatice said.

“Please raise your voice for my beloved Jamal. Please demand that your governments help us hold the evil criminals and their cowardly political masters to account.”

Underlining that there should be no cover-up, Cengiz said: “Jamal was my beloved fiancée, but he was also a gentle human being, a loving man, a journalist and a true believer in democracy and freedom in the Arab world.”

“Let’s demand justice for Jamal and stand up for his ideals.”

Cengiz said Khashoggi felt that it was his duty to become the “voice of the voiceless” and this was not only an issue of intellectual integrity but a moral responsibility.

“It was part of being a responsible citizen -- an idea that he so dearly cherished and felt that his own country, Saudi Arabia, but also the wider Middle East needed to embrace,” she said.

Cengiz said she would have gone herself into the Saudi consulate or done anything to stop Khashoggi from entering it if she had only known that a group of murderers was waiting inside.

The event, titled ‘Remembering Jamal’ also featured speeches from the Middle East Monitor’s Director Daud Abdullah, Conservative MP Crispin Blunt and some prominent journalists.

Khashoggi was last seen entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2.

On the day of his disappearance, 15 other Saudis, including several officials, arrived in Istanbul on two planes and visited the consulate while he was still inside, according to Turkish police sources. All of the identified individuals have since left Turkey.

A joint Turkish-Saudi team completed an investigation into the case after searching the residence of the Saudi consul general as well as the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.