By Servet Gunerigok
WASHINGTON (AA) – UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said late Friday he is “deeply troubled ” by the confirmed death of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
His remarks came after Saudi Arabia admitted Khashoggi was killed after a brawl inside its consulate in Istanbul. Khashoggi had been missing since early October after entering the diplomatic building.
“The Secretary-General is deeply troubled by the confirmation of the death of Jamal Khashoggi, ” said Stephane Dujarric, Guterres’s spokesman. “He extends his condolences to Mr. Khashoggi’s family and friends. ”
Guterres “stresses the need for a prompt, thorough and transparent investigation into the circumstances of Mr. Khashoggi’s death and full accountability for those responsible, ” said the statement.
Preliminary investigations carried out by the Public Prosecution Office revealed that Khashoggi had “a quarrel and brawl with the persons he met ” at the consulate, which “resulted in his death “, the state-run Saudi Press Agency said in a statement.
The agency reported that 18 Saudi citizens have been arrested over links to Khashoggi’s death and those having such links will be held accountable and brought to justice.
*Betul Yuruk in New York contributed to the story