Today marks one year since the Saudi-born Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi was brutally assassinated inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. The masterminds of the killing remain at large. Last year, the CIA concluded Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had ordered Khashoggi’s assassination, but the prince remains a close ally to the U.S. government. Earlier today, Khashoggi’s widow Hatice Cengiz and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos attended a vigil outside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. Meanwhile, a U.S.-based law firm has revealed it has filed a petition at the International Criminal Court to have the Saudi crown prince be investigated for “crimes against humanity,” including the murder of Khashoggi.
This comes as a number of top U.S. executives are planning to head to Saudi Arabia later this month to participate in an investment conference known as “Davos in the Desert.” Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders criticized the companies participating. He wrote on Twitter, “The greed of Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, Citigroup and BlackRock is insatiable. Who cares if the Saudis are starving millions of Yemeni civilians or that our planet faces a climate emergency? Profiting off of $1.5 trillion in Saudi oil is just too important.” President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner is also expected to attend.