Khashoggi affair: French justice opens an investigation targeting Mohammed bin Salman

This time, the case isn't being shelved. A Parisian investigating judge has been assigned to look into the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi, the Saudi journalist killed on October 2, 2018, at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, following a complaint filed against Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The national anti-terrorism prosecutor's office confirmed that a magistrate from the crimes against humanity unit will be handling the case, which effectively opens the door to investigative actions in France.

This development stems from a complaint filed by TRIAL International and Reporters Without Borders alleging torture and enforced disappearance. RSF describes it as "the first serious step in a very long quest for justice." Speaking on franceinfo, Antoine Bernard, the organization's director of advocacy and assistance, said he was "pleased" to see an investigating judge, whom he presents as an independent authority, tasked with establishing the facts, determining responsibility, and deciding on any potential criminal proceedings.

In Paris, impunity finds itself in the dock.

The chronology, almost mechanical in its brutality, must be remembered. Riyadh initially denied, then acknowledged, the death of the Washington Post columnist, while rejecting the idea that the highest levels of power could have been involved. American intelligence services, however, pointed to the direct responsibility of the crown prince in the operation, according to publicly released information—a discrepancy that continues to cast a shadow over the official Saudi version.

The highly political stakes of a criminal case being brought from Paris against a man at the heart of the Middle Eastern balance of power and economic partnerships are significant. Antoine Bernard considers the French approach the only credible one at this stage, after years of efforts and obstruction, and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has announced its intention to cooperate throughout the judicial investigation. Now that the wheels of justice are in motion, the pace no longer depends on press releases but on actions, hearings, letters rogatory, and the quiet courage of a judge in the face of the weight of powerful interests.