UN human rights office urges Turkey, Saudi Arabia to investigate journalist disappearance

The United Nations human rights office voiced deep concern on Tuesday at the “apparent enforced disappearance” and possible murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi a week ago and urged the two countries to investigate the case. “This is of serious concern, the apparent enforced disappearance of Mr. Khashoggi from the Saudi consulate in Istanbul,” UN human rights spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said in Geneva. “If reports of his death and the extraordinary circumstances leading up to it are true, this is truly shocking,” she said. “We call for cooperation between Turkey and Saudi Arabia to conduct a prompt and impartial investigation into the circumstances,” Shamdasani added. Khashoggi was previously a prominent newspaper editor in Saudi Arabia and an adviser to a former head of intelligence. His disappearance has sparked global concern, particularly after Turkish sources said over the weekend that authorities believed he had been killed inside the consulate, Reuters said.