PARIS (ANN)-The World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (Wan-Ifra) and the World Editors Forum have called for Saudi Arabia to provide answers on the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi after a visit to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, on Oct 2.

Late last Friday, Saudi State Television confirmed that Mr Khashoggi was killed in an altercation inside the consulate. Turkish intelligence sources have leaked information that strongly implicates Saudi Arabian government figures in the murder.

Wan-Ifra has called on the Turkish authorities to provide proof of their claims of Saudi involvement in Mr Khashoggi’s murder and also urged increased international pressure for a full, verifiable accounting from the Saudi monarchy on the events leading up to Mr Khashoggi’s death.

It also vehemently condemned the growing culture of impunity for crimes against journalists, noting that nine out of 10 journalist murders go unpunished.

Wan-Ifra argued that if the allegation of a state-sanctioned killing of a critical journalist on foreign soil were proven, it should be met with universal condemnation and a genuine commitment to actively support efforts to improve the safety and security of journalists worldwide.

Singapore Press Holdings is a member of Wan-Ifra. The full Wan-Ifra statement can be seen here: https://bit.ly/2CVP8za

Source: straitstimes.com