Jamal Khashoggi’s fiancee, Hatice Cengiz has pleaded with the management of English Premier League, owner of Newcastle United, Mr Mike Ashley and the fans not to allow the club to be sold to the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Hatice told Good Morning Britain
‘To Newcastle fans, if you are not happy with the current owner, the Crown Prince will be much worse and for fans, I want to say if Mike Ashley is like a bad dream for them the Crown Prince will be a nightmare.’
Mr Khashoggi was a journalist who had been critical of Saudi Arabia’s royal family and was lured to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October 2018 before being killed and dismembered.
His killing has now led to the UK taking action against 20 Saudi nationals, who will have their assets in Britain frozen and will be banned from entering the country immediately.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is accused of ordering the murder of Mr Khashoggi, is not on the list because he has diplomatic immunity but the fact that many of his closest aides are included raises more uncomfortable questions for the Saudi royal family.
Labour MP Chris Bryant suggested the Prince should be declared persona non grata and told MailOnline: ‘Given that the blood-stained trail leads directly to his door it is surprising that the government has not yet declared him as well as his henchmen unwelcome in this land’.
Meanwhile, 20 of his associates were named on a UK sanctions list of the world’s worst human rights abusers.
The move to sanction 20 senior Saudis is likely to cause tensions between London and Riyadh and will also raise further questions over the role of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the killing of Mr Khashoggi. Six of the members of the alleged hit squad sent to Turkey are listed as having ‘worked in the office of the crown prince’, being ‘an adviser to the crown prince’, having ‘worked with the crown prince’s adviser’ or being a ‘security official for the crown prince’.
