A French investigating judge has opened a formal inquiry into the 2018 killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, reviving one of the most politically sensitive murder cases in recent years and placing renewed legal scrutiny on Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The inquiry follows a ruling by the Paris Court of Appeal on May 11 that found complaints filed by TRIAL International and Reporters Without Borders admissible. The case is being examined under allegations of torture and enforced disappearance, with rights groups arguing that the killing may fall within the scope of crimes against humanity.
Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist and critic of Saudi Arabia’s leadership, was killed and dismembered inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2, 2018. His body has never been found.
The complaint was originally filed in 2022 during a visit by Mohammed bin Salman to France. French prosecutors had opposed opening the investigation for years, arguing that the rights groups lacked sufficient legal standing. But the appeals court overturned that position, allowing the case to move forward under the supervision of a judge linked to France’s crimes against humanity unit within the national anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office.
The development does not amount to charges or a finding of guilt. It means a French judge can now examine whether there is enough evidence to pursue the case further. Under French law, prosecution in such cases may depend on factors including the suspect’s presence in France.
Mohammed bin Salman has denied ordering Khashoggi’s killing, while acknowledging that it happened under his leadership. U.S. intelligence agencies concluded in a declassified assessment that the Saudi crown prince approved the operation, an accusation Riyadh has repeatedly rejected.
Saudi Arabia held trials for several people accused of involvement in the killing, but rights groups and U.N. experts criticized the proceedings as opaque and insufficient, saying they failed to examine responsibility at higher levels of the Saudi leadership.
The French inquiry is now one of the few remaining legal avenues linked to Khashoggi’s killing. A Turkish trial was dropped in 2022 and transferred to Saudi Arabia, while a U.S. civil case brought by Khashoggi’s fiancée was dismissed after Washington said Mohammed bin Salman had immunity following his appointment as Saudi prime minister.
Rights groups have welcomed the French move as a rare step toward accountability, while Saudi officials are expected to view the case as another attempt to internationalize a matter Riyadh says it has already addressed through its own courts.
The investigation could take months or years, but the decision marks a significant legal setback for the Saudi crown prince’s efforts to move beyond the global outrage triggered by Khashoggi’s killing.
