Kremlin hopes situation with missing Saudi journalist in Istanbul will be solved

Moscow expects that the situation with Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who went missing in the Kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul, will be solved in accordance with the law, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the Bolshaya Igra (Big Game) program on Russia’s Channel One.

"I don’t think we should meddle and pick up the pieces in the situation with the Saudi journalist," Peskov said. According to him, Moscow is satisfied about cooperation between Turkish investigators and Saudi diplomats. "We hope that this situation will be solved in accordance with the law without any allegations," he stressed.

Peskov noted Turkey’s important role in the region, including in the Syrian settlement. "Turkey is vital both for Russia and the United States. Whatsoever, the US continues seeking contact with the Turkish colleagues," he said.
Missing Saudi journalist

Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, known for his criticism of Saudi Arabia’s current policy, left his home country and moved to the United States in 2017. The journalist wrote articles for The Washington Post, analyzing the situation in Saudi Arabia and the country’s foreign policy and criticizing Riyadh.

The journalist arrived to the consulate general of Saudi Arabia in Istanbul on October 2 to complete routine paperwork and has not been in contact since then. According to several media outlets, the journalist was killed in the diplomatic mission’s building. So far, Saudi officials have refuted the allegations. At the same time, according to CNN, Riyadh is preparing to admit to the killing of the Saudi journalist during "an interrogation that went wrong".