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| - Journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered by Saudi agents at the kingdom's Istanbul consulate in 2018, a gruesome killing that shocked the world and strained Riyadh's relations with key ally Washington. Here is a timeline of the affair: The Washington Post columnist, who was critical of powerful Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, fled the kingdom in 2017 to take refuge in the United States. He is recorded on a camera entering the Istanbul consulate on October 2, 2018, to get a document for his marriage while his fiancee Hatice Cengiz waits outside. But he never emerges. As anxiety mounts over his fate, the crown prince declares on October 5 that Khashoggi is not in the consulate, saying: "We have nothing to hide." A source close to the Turkish government says the next day that police believe he was murdered inside by a team sent to Istanbul specifically to kill him, and that the team left the same day. Riyadh calls the claim "baseless". On October 7, The Washington Post cites a US official as saying Khashoggi's body "was likely dismembered, removed in boxes and flown out of the country". The New York Times says Turkey identified a suspect in the affair as being from Prince Mohammed's inner circle. Three others are linked to his security team. On October 20, Riyadh finally admits Khashoggi was killed inside the consulate, claiming this was after a "brawl". Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir tells Fox News on October 21 there had been a "tremendous mistake" and those responsible acted "outside the scope of their authority". Two days later, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says Khashoggi's "savage" murder was carried out by a 15-person team from Riyadh. The crown prince -- known widely by his initials, MBS -- on October 24 describes the affair as "very painful for all Saudis" and "a repulsive incident". Erdogan says in early November that the order for the murder came from "the highest levels" of the Saudi government, while ruling out King Salman. Washington announces sanctions on November 15 against 17 Saudis allegedly involved. Germany, France and Canada follow suit. The Washington Post on November 16 quotes anonymous sources as saying the CIA had concluded the crown prince was involved in the murder plot. But President Donald Trump, who enjoys close relations with MBS, says the CIA has "nothing definitive". Republican senators in early December say after a CIA briefing that they firmly believe the crown prince was complicit. The Senate adopts a resolution holding him responsible on December 13. Independent UN special rapporteur Agnes Callamard says in June 2019 there is "credible evidence" linking MBS to the killing and calls for an international criminal investigation. Riyadh rejects her comments as baseless, while Trump says no one "pointed the finger" at MBS. In December a Saudi court condemns five unnamed people to death for the killing. An Istanbul court in early July 2020 puts 20 Saudis on trial in absentia, including two who are close to the crown prince. Among the accused are two identified by the Turkish investigators as commanders of the operation: Ahmed al-Assiri and Saud al-Qahtani. On September 7, a Saudi court overturns the five death sentences handed down nine months previously for the murder, jailing eight unidentified people for terms ranging from seven to 20 years. Khashoggi's fiancee brands the ruling a "farce". On the second anniversary of the killing, Amnesty International and Reporters Without Borders say the trial was a "parody of justice" and call for an international probe. New US President Joe Biden announces Wednesday that an American intelligence report on the murder would be released soon, telling reporters he had already seen it. The next day, Biden holds a long-delayed first post-inauguration phone call with Saudi Arabia's King Salman, in which he reaffirms the US's commitment to the kingdom's defense but stresses the importance of human rights. The partially redacted, two-year-old report is released on Friday. In it, US intelligence concludes the prince "approved an operation in Istanbul, Turkey to capture or kill Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi". acm/jmy/fg/dwo/sw
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