Rights groups blast Turkey's "appalling" decision to transfer Khashoggi murder trial to Saudi Arabia

Istanbul — A Turkish court on Thursday confirmed a halt to the trial in absentia of 26 suspects linked to the killing of Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi and its transfer to Riyadh, a decision that has angered rights groups. The 59-year-old journalist was killed inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2, 2018, in a gruesome murder that shocked the world.

A Turkish court began the trial in 2020 with relations tense between the two Sunni Muslim regional powers. But with Turkey desperate for investment to help pull it out of economic crisis, Ankara has sought to heal the rift with Riyadh.

The judge told the court: "We decided to halt and hand over the case to Saudi Arabia."