Widow of Murdered Journalist Khashoggi Demands Apology and Compensation from Saudi Crown Prince

Hanan Elatr Khashoggi stated that her husband's murder "destroyed" her life completely.

The widow of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was killed by Saudi agents in 2018, has requested an apology from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman following his description of the killing as a "huge mistake." In a social media post on X, Hanan Elatr Khashoggi emphasized that there was no justification for her husband's murder and called on the Saudi crown prince to "compensate" her for her loss.

Hanan Elatr Khashoggi's comments came after US President Donald Trump welcomed the Saudi prince during his first visit to the United States since Khashoggi's death at the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul, an event that triggered worldwide condemnation. She had previously disclosed that she wrote to Trump seeking his assistance in reaching a financial settlement with Prince Mohammed.

Addressing the President of the United States in her post, Khashoggi wrote, "There is no justification to murder my husband. While Jamal was a good, transparent and brave man, many people may not have agreed with his opinions and desire for freedom of the press."

"The Crown Prince said he was sorry, so he should meet me, apologise and compensate me for the murder of my husband, Jamal Khashoggi," she stated on the social media platform.

In an interview with CNN, Khashoggi expressed that "it's very painful for me" to witness Prince Mohammed's Washington visit, where he received treatment typically accorded to a head of state rather than a de facto ruler.

"It will be better if Jamal were here and receiving the crown prince by himself, and meet him and share with him his vision and mission and all his ideas," she remarked in the interview broadcast on Monday.

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

Regarding her desire for a financial settlement with Prince Mohammed, she explained that her husband's killing "destroyed my life." She expressed hope that Washington would remember this as it pursues relations with Riyadh.

"I hope they look at the American values of human rights and (democracy)" beyond any deals and weapons sales, she stated.

"There is something missing," she noted, referring to the absence of "real justice."

Jamal Khashoggi – a US resident and critic of the Saudi regime – was murdered in an incident that severely strained relations between the two nations after US intelligence indicated that Prince Mohammed had approved the operation to kill him, an allegation denied by Saudi authorities.

His dismembered remains have never been recovered, and Prince Mohammed was not among those sanctioned by Washington.

Following a controversial trial in Saudi Arabia, five Saudis received death sentences and three others were given prison terms. The death sentences have since been commuted.