Khashoggi's Widow Expresses Disappointment Over Trump's Meeting With Saudi Crown Prince

The widow of Jamal Khashoggi has expressed her distress following US President Donald Trump's recent meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

United States:

Hanan Elatr Khashoggi, whose husband was brutally killed inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018, shared her profound disappointment with AFP regarding Trump's warm reception of the Saudi crown prince.

"It did upset me a lot, and it was disappointing," she stated, adding that Trump appeared "misinformed" about her late husband's character.

She defended Jamal Khashoggi's reputation, describing him as "a stable man, brave man, transparent man and professional journalist," directly challenging Trump's characterization of him as "extremely controversial."

During Tuesday's White House visit, President Trump vigorously defended Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, marking the Saudi leader's first official visit to the White House since Khashoggi's murder in 2018, where he was strangled and dismembered.

Khashoggi had been a US resident who contributed critical pieces about Saudi Arabia to The Washington Post.

Despite US intelligence reports released under President Biden indicating that the crown prince had ordered the killing, Trump insisted during the meeting that his guest had no knowledge of the murder plot.

Hanan Elatr Khashoggi also expressed shock over Trump's harsh treatment of an ABC News journalist who questioned the crown prince about the killing.

She revealed that she had written to Trump seeking assistance in obtaining compensation from Saudi Arabia but received no response to her communication.

The widow continues to seek a personal meeting with the crown prince, who described Khashoggi's killing as a "huge mistake" during his Oval Office appearance.

"I'm looking to collect the remains of my husband's body, to bury him in a dignified way, and to ask for official apology and financial compensation," she explained.

Having received asylum in the United States, Hanan expressed deep disappointment that the US was not upholding democratic values in its handling of the situation.

Saudi authorities have questioned the legitimacy of her marriage claims, suggesting the union was not properly registered.

At the time of his death, Khashoggi was visiting the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to complete paperwork for his marriage to a Turkish woman.