A Paris magistrate has been appointed to investigate a legal complaint filed against Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman over the 2018 assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, according to French sources cited by AFP on Saturday, May 16, 2026.
The complaint, filed by rights groups including the Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters Without Borders, alleges that the crown prince was responsible for the killing. Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist and critic of the Saudi government, was murdered and dismembered inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2, 2018.
U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that Mohammed bin Salman approved the operation that led to Khashoggi's death, though Saudi officials have denied his involvement. The French investigation will examine whether the prince can be held legally accountable under French law, which allows for prosecution of foreign officials in certain cases.
The development marks a significant step in international efforts to seek justice for Khashoggi's killing, which has drawn widespread condemnation and strained Saudi Arabia's relations with Western nations.
