Saudi prosecutor calls for death penalty for Khashoggi killers

Saudi Arabia's public prosecutor is calling for the death penalty for five of the eleven people accused of murdering journalist Jamal Khashoggi, should they be found guilty.

The initial hearing of the case started today, Thursday (Jan 3) in the criminal court of the Saudi capital Riyadh.

The state-run Saudi Press Agency and state television gave few details of the hearing and did not name the suspects. The statement from the prosecutor said the suspects attended the hearing in the presence of their lawyers.

Jamal Khashoggi died in the Saudi Arabia consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. He was last seen entering the consulate on October 2.

In his work as a journalist, he had regularly been critical of the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The kingdom initially denied reports of his death but later changed its story and acknowledged that he had died in the consulate.

Khashoggi's body, which is believed to have been dismembered and removed from the building, has never been found.