Moment of Silence For Jamal Khashoggi At National Press Club Oct. 2

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Oct 02, 2024, 10:55 ET

WASHINGTON, Oct. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Oct 2 at 5:30 pm in the Zenger Room of the National Press Club there will be a moment of silence for Washington Post Opinions contributor Jamal Khashoggi to mark the 6^th anniversary of his brutal murder by Saudi government officials. Jamal was lured to the Saudi Embassy in Istanbul where he was tortured and murdered.

His body has never been produced for his family for proper burial.

In 2018 the Club named Khashoggi a John Aubuchon Press Freedom Honoree, the Club's highest honor for press freedom.

There has been no justice for Jamal in this matter, which the CIA concluded had been ordered by Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS) who was Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia at the time. Then President Trump objected to the CIA conclusion. There was a trial in Saudi Arabia and 7 unnamed persons were sentenced to prison for from 7 to 20 years. Turkey brought indictments against Saudi officials in 2020, but eventually transferred the case back to Saudi Arabia in 2022.

The U.S. Senate in 2018 passed unanimously a resolution that held MBS personally responsible for the killing of Khashoggi. The Senate further acted to end U.S. military aid for the Saudi war in Yemen. In Bob Woodward's book Peril, President Trump bragged about distracting Congress to keep them from launching an investigation Jamal's murder.

On Nov. 17, 2022, the Biden Administration ruled that MBS was immune from prosecution in U.S. lawsuits on this matter because he was a head of state.

Club President Emily Wilkins will make a short statement and invite those who attend to join in a moment of silence for Jamal. Still photographers and camera crews are welcome to cover but should register by contacting Bill McCarren at [email protected]

Founded in 1908, the National Press Club is the world's leading professional organization for journalists. With 3,000 members representing nearly every major news organization, the Club is a leading voice for press freedom in the U.S. and worldwide.

Contact: Bill McCarren, 202-662-7534

SOURCE National Press Club