Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australia will be joining the boycott by world leaders and businesses of Saudi Arabia’s Future Investment Initiative over the death of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
After weeks of denial, Saudi Arabia’s government has confirmed the government critic did die in the Saudi Arabian consulate in the Turkish city of Istanbul, but claims it happened after a fist fight.
Eighteen Saudi nationals have been arrested, and Saudi Arabia’s justice minister said the matter will be scrutinised by Saudi courts.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
Turkish authorities say they have an audio recording purportedly documenting Khashoggi’s murder inside the consulate.
Pro-government newspaper Yeni Safak reports the audio reveals Khashoggi’s torturers cut off his fingers during an interrogation and later beheaded him.
Turkish investigators are searching for Khashoggi’s body.
A senior Turkish official told Reuters on Saturday they believe they will find out what happened to the body “before long”.
Germany’s foreign minister, Heiko Maas, suggested that an UN-backed probe might be the only way of ensuring full “objectivity and credibility”.
Mr Morrison backed calls for an in-depth investigation, saying Australia “will stand with all other like-minded countries in condemning this death, this killing”.
“We expect there to be full co-operation,” he said.
“Those who have been arrested will go through the proper process. And we expect the truth to be determined through that process and those responsible to be held accountable.”
The EU's top diplomat Federica Mogherini said the revelations from Saudi Arabia point to an alleged the violation of article 55 of the Vienna Convention.
"The emerging circumstances of Jamal Khashoggi’s death are deeply troubling, including the shocking violation of the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations,” she said referring to the section on the "Respect for the laws and regulations of the receiving State."
The article further states: "The consular premises shall not be used in any manner incompatible with the exercise of consular functions."
