Ankara calls Saudi court verdict on Khashoggi killing "far from justice"

Turkey on Monday criticised a Saudi court verdict over the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, saying it stopped short of meeting expectations to shed light on the killing and deliver justice.

"The decision announced by the Saudi court is far from meeting the expectations of both our country and the international community to shed light on the murder with all its dimensions and deliver justice," Hami Aksoy -- the foreign ministry spokesman -- said in a statement.

Aksoy reiterated Turkey's expectation for judicial cooperation with Saudi authorities.

Khashoggi, a columnist for The Washington Post and a U.S. resident, was murdered after entering the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2 of last year on a visit to pick up paperwork for his forthcoming marriage.

A Saudi court has sentenced five people to death for taking part in the murder of prominent journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Speaking at a press conference in Riyadh on Monday, Shalaan al-Shalaan said 11 people have been put on trial in connection with Khashoggi's killing.

He said three people were given jail terms totaling 24 years in prison for their role in covering up the crime and violating law.

Al-Shalaan said the court dismissed the public prosecutor's charges against three other suspects and found them not guilty.

He said former royal adviser Saud al-Qahtani was investigated and was not charged in the killing.

Al-Shalaan said Mohammed al-Oteibi, the former consul-general in Istanbul, was also not charged and released because "he was not at the consulate at the time of the killing."

He said Ahmed Assiri, the former intelligence deputy chief, was investigated and released after finding no evidence implicating him in the murder.

The Public Prosecution did not file charges against ten other individuals and released them due to insufficient evidence, al-Shalaan added.