UK, Canada say urgent need to resolve Khashoggi murder

Britain and Canada said Monday that establishing what happened to murdered Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi remains an “urgent need”.

In a phone call, UK Prime Minister Theresa May and her Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau discussed Saudi Arabia and the “appalling” murder of Khashoggi, agreeing there was an urgent need to establish what happened and for those responsible to be held to account, said a statement from Downing Street.

Khashoggi, a Saudi national and columnist for The Washington Post, disappeared on Oct. 2 after entering the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul to receive paperwork he needed to get married.

Once inside, he was immediately strangled and then dismembered, according to the Istanbul Prosecutor’s office.

The British government’s statement said May and Trudeau also agreed that the international community should continue to press for a “thorough, credible and transparent investigation by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia”.

After days of denying any knowledge of Khashoggi’s whereabouts, Saudi Arabian officials said he died in a “brawl” in the consulate but later admitted that he was killed there.

May and Trudeau also discussed Yemen and agreed on the pressing need to alleviate the humanitarian situation and reach a political solution.

“We supported the U.S. call for de-escalation in Yemen, noting that it must be underpinned by a political deal between the conflict parties,” said May.

The UK, France and Germany alongside numerous other countries have condemned the murder of Khashoggi.