A French judge has been appointed to lead an inquiry into the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the country's national anti-terrorism prosecutor's office (PNAT) said on Saturday, after a court ruled the case admissible.
The probe, covering charges of torture and enforced disappearance, was opened after a complaint filed by Khashoggi's fiancée, Hatice Cengiz, and the rights group Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN). The Paris prosecutor's office confirmed the investigation in a statement.
Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist and critic of the Saudi government, was killed and dismembered inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2, 2018. A U.S. intelligence report released in 2021 concluded that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approved the operation.
The French investigation is separate from proceedings in other countries, including the United States and Turkey, where legal actions have also been pursued. Saudi Arabia has denied the crown prince's involvement and convicted eight individuals in a closed trial.
As of May 2026, no senior Saudi official has been held accountable in an international court for the killing. The French inquiry marks a new legal front in the case.
