France has launched an investigation against the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. What you need to know

France has launched an investigation against Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. Several human rights organizations have accused him of possible connection with the torture and disappearance of the journalist. The Paris Court of Appeal upheld the NGO's demand to open a case, although the prosecutor's office opposed it. The investigation will be handled by a judge from the Crimes against Humanity Unit. What you need to know about this case is in the Izvestia article.

The course of the case

• In France, on May 11, 2026, an investigation was launched into the Khashoggi murder case, which took place in Istanbul in 2018. The investigation was assigned to the investigating judge of Paris after the appeal of human rights organizations against the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman.

• The journalist's case caused a huge public outcry: in 2022, DAWN and Trial International filed a lawsuit in France. Later, Reporters Without Borders joined the process. The UN called the incident a murder organized by the state. Khashoggi's fiancee, Hatice Cengiz, said that the tragedy affected not only her personally, but also all people who advocate for freedom of speech.

• The Saudi authorities explained the incident as a mistake of the special operation to return the journalist to the country. In 2025, five defendants were sentenced to 20 years in prison, although they initially faced the death penalty.

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Attempts by other countries

• The murder of Khashoggi was also investigated by the Turkish authorities. But in 2022, the Turkish court stopped the trial against 26 Saudi citizens and handed over the case file to Riyadh.

In February 2021, American intelligence announced that the Saudi Crown Prince had approved an operation to detain or eliminate a journalist. However, after his appointment as prime minister in September 2022, the administration of former US President Joe Biden recognized his immunity. Later, the US federal court dismissed the lawsuit filed by Khashoggi's fiancee.

Why and how did the murder happen

• Khashoggi has openly criticized the Saudi authorities, especially Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Before emigrating to the United States, he worked as the editor of the newspaper Al-Watan, but lost his position because of his views. In 2017, the journalist was effectively banned from publishing in the country, after which he left for America and began writing for The Washington Post. In 2018, he came to Istanbul with his fiancee, Hatice Cengiz, to obtain documents for marriage.

• On September 28, 2018, Khashoggi visited the consulate for the first time. After his departure, the staff of the diplomatic mission contacted Riyadh. According to the investigation, it was then that preparations began for an attack on the journalist. The name of the adviser to Crown Prince Saud al-Qahtani appears on the audio recordings. He was associated with the persecution of oppositionists and secret special operations against critics of the regime.

• On October 1 and 2, Saudi intelligence officers arrived in Istanbul. Among them were intelligence officers and forensic scientist Salah al-Tubaigi. The group members stayed at the Mövenpick Hotel next to the consulate. According to investigators, the operation was pre-arranged at the state level. Turkish sources claimed that such actions require the consent of the country's top leadership.

On October 2, 2018, Khashoggi entered the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul and never came out again. Surveillance cameras recorded his last moments before his disappearance. Later, Turkish special services received audio recordings from the consulate building, where preparations for the crime and the murder itself can be heard.

• Before Khashoggi's arrival, the consulate was prepared in advance: the floor was covered with a film, and local employees were given a day off. The band members can be heard talking on the recordings. Al-Tubaigi discussed the dismemberment of the body and said that he usually turns on music during such procedures. At 1:15 p.m., Khashoggi entered the building. After a short time, they began to hold him by force. Investigators believe that the journalist was strangled and then dismembered.

• After the murder, the consulate vehicles headed to the Consul General's residence. Cameras recorded people with bags and suitcases. The journalist's body was never found. Later, one of the participants in the operation left the consulate in Khashoggi's clothes to create the impression that the journalist had left the building alive. By 6:30 p.m., the group had already flown back to Riyadh on a private jet.

Why did they start an investigation

• The French court's decision to launch an investigation came amid deteriorating relations between Paris and Washington following Donald Trump's return to the White House. In recent months, the US administration has regularly accused European countries of restricting freedom of speech and putting pressure on political opponents. Representatives of the Trump team criticized the European Union for criminal cases against right-wing politicians, restrictions on social networks and increased control over the media.

Against this background, the investigation against the Saudi prince also looks like a political signal from France. Paris is trying to show the independence of its foreign policy. At the same time, the French authorities maintain close economic ties with Riyadh. Before the US war against Iran, Saudi Arabia supplied about 600,000 barrels of oil per day to Europe.

Consequences of the case

• An investigation in France is unlikely to pose serious risks to Bin Salman himself. French law allows such cases to be conducted on the principle of universal jurisdiction, however, a real criminal trial requires the presence of the accused in the country.

• The Crown Prince actually controls Saudi Arabia, holding the post of Prime Minister. He continues to be received by the leaders of the United States and Europe, despite the protests that accompany such visits. US President Donald Trump even publicly defended the Saudi heir and stressed the strategic importance of relations with Riyadh.

• Saudi Arabia remains an important partner for Europe in the energy and defense sectors. After the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine, the kingdom's importance to Western countries has grown even more due to the energy crisis. Therefore, the investigation in Paris looks more like a legal and symbolic step than a preparation for the actual prosecution of the prince.