Washington, June 19: A United Nations (UN) report on Wednesday said that there should be an investigation against Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud in connection with the murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi. A fierce critic of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), Khashoggi, was killed inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul last October.

Describing the killing of Jamal Khashoggi as "an international crime", the UN report said there is "credible evidence" to link Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman with the journalist's murder. The report also questioned Saudi handling of the killing fo Khashoggi and said the Kingdom failed "to offer an apology to Mr Khashoggi’s family, friends and colleagues for his death and for the manner in which he was killed".

“It is the conclusion of the special rapporteur that Mr Khashoggi has been the victim of a deliberate, premeditated execution, an extrajudicial killing for which the state of Saudi Arabia is responsible under international human rights law,” Agnes Callamard, the UN’s special rapporteur, says in the report, The Guardian reported. Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Warns Against 'Exploiting' Jamal Khashoggi's Murder.

It adds: "To date, the Saudi state has failed to offer public recognition of its responsibility for the killing of Mr Khashoggi, and it has failed to offer an apology to Mr Khashoggi’s family, friends and colleagues for his death and for the manner in which he was killed. Saudi Journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s Murder: Lack of Information Irks US Senators.

"The special rapporteur obtained information regarding a financial package offered to the children of Mr Jamal Khashoggi but it is questionable whether such package amounts to compensation under international human rights law." The Saudi government has insisted that Khashoggi's killing was not an assassination ordered from Riyadh.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 19, 2019 04:13 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).