Saudi prosecutor begins trial of  11 men charged with murdering Jamal Khashoggi in Riyadh, denies crown Prince was involved
Suspects in murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi went on trial Thursday 
Saudi Arabia’s attorney general announced he will seek death penalty for five suspects
Khashoggi, a critic of Saudi leader Mohammed bin Salman, was killed in Turkey as he went to the consulate to collect divorce papers
The prominent Saudi journalist, a columnist for Washington Post was last seen entering Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2
It is believed the 59-year-old former regime insider was strangled before his body was dismembered and disposed
Leaked audio tapes later suggest that Khashoggi, a vociferous critic of the Crown Prince, had been attacked and dismembered while still alive, within minutes of entering the consulate in Istanbul
Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, 33, is facing increasingly Herculean task in his efforts to deflect accusations of complicity in the killing of Khashoggi
The 15-man Saudi hit squad believed to have killed Khashoggi arrived Turkey from Saudi Arabia, two hours before the killing, and departed immediately after
Immediately after demands for justice began, Saudis initially denied knowledge of the writer’s whereabouts
This was later revised with a confirmation of his death and a kaleidoscope of shifting explanations and confirmation of his death  
Jamal Khashoggi 5Five of the 11 men accused of murdering journalist Jamal Khashoggi [photo], in October last year are facing the death penalty as their trial begins in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia’s attorney general sought the death penalty for five of 11 defendants charged with the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi as their high-profile trial opened in Riyadh on Thursday.
All 11 accused were present with their lawyers at the opening hearing, according to a statement by the attorney general carried by Saudi’s state press agency.
The names of the 11 defendants have not been officially released.

Jamal Khashoggi 6.JPGVictim: Jamal, Khashoggi, disappeared after he entered the Saudi consulate [photo], in Istanbul on Oct 2, 2018 to collect a document for his impending marriage
Saudi Hit squad 4Turkish media published a list of 15 men who they say formed the hit squad, just days after the murder of Khashoggi on Turkish soil
Turkish media did publish a list of 15 men who they say formed the hit squad, taken from documents they showed as they passed through passport control.of those men are bodyguards of the kingdom’s de-facto ruler Mohammed bin Salman, who denies giving the order to kill Khashoggi.
It is not known whether any of the 11 men in court appeared on Turkey’s list.
The 15 man saudi hit team were photographed at passport control at Ataturk Airport on 2 October.jpgThe alleged 15 man Saudi ‘hit squad’ were photographed at passport control at Ataturk Airport, Istanbul on Oct 2
Authorities in the Turkish capital of Ankara have consistently accused Saudi Arabia of not cooperating on this issue.
The Turkish foreign minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu also stated before that the Saudi prosecutor’s office has never shared any information about those 11 people who have been arrested.
The decision to pursue the death sentence decision will most likely not be welcomed by Ankara, because it will mean that Saudi Arabia will prevent those people from talking, insiders observed.
Salah Muhammad al-Tubaigy 1.JPG‘Forensic expert’ Salah Muhammad al-Tabiki, [photo L-R], reportedly could be heard telling others in the squad to put headphones in while dismembering Khashoggi. The victim was still alive
Saudi prosecutors said they have sent five letters to Turkish officials asking  to view evidence collected over the October 2 killing of Mr Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
‘No response has been received to date and the Public Prosecutor’s Office is still waiting for an answer,’ the statement said.
Ankara has demanded the suspects face trial in Turkey, a request the Saudis have refused.
Turkish officials have previously said they shared evidence with Saudi Arabia and other nations over Mr Khashoggi’s killing.
Mr Khashoggi, a former regime insider , had written columns for the Washington Post critical of Saudi Arabia’s de-facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
“This death sentence decision… will most likely not be welcomed by Ankara, because it will mean that Saudi Arabia will prevent those people from talking” – Turkey maintains
If the Saudis proceed with the execution, neither Turkey nor any other country will be able to hear the testimonies of the accused, sources said.