Jamal Khashoggi's sons ask for their father's body; want to bury him in Medina

The sons of Khashoggi Salah and Abdullah Kashoggi said they want to return to Saudi Arabia for the ritualistic burial of their father as without it the family is unable deal with the emotional burden of their father’s death.

In this photo released by Saudi Press Agency, SPA, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, right, shakes hands with Salah Khashoggi, a son, of Jamal Khashoggi, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2018. Saudi Arabia, which for weeks maintained that Jamal Khashoggi had left the Istanbul consulate, on Saturday acknowledged he was killed there in a "fistfight." (Saudi Press Agency via AP)

New Delhi: The sons of slain journalist Jamal Khashoggi who was brutally murdered inside a Saudi consulate, have appealed for the return of their father’s body and said that they want to bury him as per the rituals in Medina with the rest of his family. The sons, Salah and Abdullah Kashoggi said they want to return to Saudi Arabia for the ritualistic burial of their father as without it the family is unable deal with the emotional burden of their father’s death. The brothers said while talking to CNN : “It's not a normal situation, it's not a normal death at all. All what we want right now is to bury him in Al-Baqi (cemetery) in Medina (Saudi Arabia) with the rest of his family." Salah told the media"I talked about that with the Saudi authorities and I just hope that it happens soon." Salah, who was facing a travel ban, had left Saudi Arabia weeks ago with his family. Days before that he was pictured receiving condolences from Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman. In the photos released by the Saudi state-run SPA news agency, Salah appeared to show discomfort while shaking hands with the king and crown prince, prompting a wide spectrum of comments from around the world. Khashoggi’s fiancée too has demanded that all the people involved in his murder at different levels, from highest to the lowest, should be brought to justice soon, media reports said. The macabre killing of Khashoggi sparked worldwide outrage with most of the countries suspecting Saudi royals’ hand in it and asking for a transparent probe. A report from Turkey claimed that the killing of Khashoggi had been planned in advance, adding that those responsible for the crime would be punished. Initially, Saudi Arabia stated that Khashoggi left its consulate alive on Oct. 2, but nearly three weeks later, the Arab kingdom admitted he had been killed at the diplomatic mission's building due to a fight, an account about which several governments have expressed skepticism. Later, the Saudi prosecutor's office announced that 18 people had been arrested and that the security officials involved in the case had stepped down. Turkey said it believed a hit squad of Saudi nationals had travelled to Istanbul with the sole purpose of killing Khashoggi, a former member of the Saudi elite who became critical of the current government's administration in his country.