Saudi Arabia imposed prison terms on eight people for murdering journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a few months after his family pardoned the victim's killers and agreed to abolish the death penalty.
Khashoggi, a critic of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was last seen at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2, 2018, where he had gone to obtain documents for his impending wedding. His body was reportedly dismembered and removed from the building, and his remains have not been found.
State media reported that five people were sentenced to 20 years in prison, one person was sentenced to 10 years and two people were sentenced to seven years for the murder.
None of the defendants were named.
At an earlier stage of the trial, in December, the court sentenced five people to death and three to jail, saying then that the killing was not premeditated, but was carried out "on the spot." Again, none of the accused was identified.
Saudi officials denied that the prince played a role in the killing, although in September 2019 the prince indicated some personal responsibility, saying it "happened under my supervision."
In May, the family of the murdered journalist said they pardoned their killers, paving the way for a pardon for the five defendants sentenced to death.
In Saudi Arabia, which lacks a codified legal system and follows Islamic law, the pardon of the victim's family in such cases may allow a formal pardon and stay of execution.
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