Turkish newspaper shares slain Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi's last words

Jamal Khashoggi.
(Image credit: Mohammed Al-Shaikh / Getty Images)

A Turkish newspaper with close ties to the government is reporting what it says were the final words of slain Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Khashoggi was murdered on Oct. 2, 2018, inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. He was killed by a Saudi hit squad, as his fiancée waited outside of the building. The Sabah newspaper reports that a recording of the incident was obtained by Turkey's intelligence agency, and Khashoggi is heard speaking with several of his killers.

Per the transcript, one of the members of the hit squad is heard telling Khashoggi that Interpol has ordered his arrest and he will be returned to Riyadh. Khashoggi responds that he knows this isn't true, and reminds the man that his fiancée is waiting for him. Khashoggi is also heard being pressured to send his son a message saying if he doesn't hear from him, not to worry, Sabah reports. "I will write nothing," Khashoggi responds.

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One of the men is heard threatening Khashoggi, telling him if he doesn't willingly go to Saudi Arabia, "you know what will happen in the end." Khashoggi was then apparently drugged, Sabah reports, and before he lost consciousness, he said, "Don't cover my mouth. I have asthma, don't do it. You'll suffocate me."

Some of these details were included in a United Nations report released this June, which calls for an investigation into Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's possible role in Khashoggi's death; he has denied being involved. Saudi Arabia couldn't stick to one story about what happened to Khashoggi, and after putting forward several different scenarios, the kingdowm put the blame on a group of rogue officers.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.