Khashoggi's Widow Expresses Pain as Saudi Crown Prince Meets Trump: The Ongoing Search for Justice

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman with Donald Trump.

The widow of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was murdered in 2018 by Saudi agents, expressed that it was "very painful" to witness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Tuesday visit to the United States.

President Donald Trump is anticipated to welcome the Saudi prince with high honors during his first trip to the United States since Khashoggi's killing at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, an event that sparked worldwide condemnation.

The two leaders are expected to finalize defense and nuclear agreements that will include the sale of American F-35 stealth fighters to Saudi Arabia.

In a conversation with CNN, Hanan Elatr Khashoggi shared her emotional distress about seeing Prince Mohammed received in Washington with diplomatic protocols reserved for heads of state, rather than as a de facto ruler.

"It would be better if Jamal was here and receiving the crown prince himself, meeting him and sharing his vision, mission, and ideas," she stated in the interview broadcast on Monday.

She revealed that before his death, "Jamal was actually awaiting an invitation from the crown prince and wished to have the space to be heard. He had good ideas for his country."

Hanan Elatr Khashoggi mentioned she had sent a letter to Trump requesting assistance in negotiating a financial settlement with Prince Mohammed.

The assassination "destroyed my life," she admitted, hoping Washington would keep this in mind while pursuing relations with Riyadh.

"I hope they consider American values of human rights and democracy" beyond any deals and weapons sales, she remarked.

"There is something missing," she added, highlighting the absence of "real justice."

The murder of Jamal Khashoggi—a US resident and critic of the Saudi regime—had strained relations between the two nations after US intelligence indicated that Prince Mohammed had approved the operation to kill him, an allegation that Saudi authorities reject.

His dismembered remains have never been recovered, and Prince Mohammed was never included among those sanctioned by Washington.

Following an obscure trial in Saudi Arabia, five Saudis received death sentences and three others were given prison terms. The death sentences have since been reduced.