Jamal Khashoggi, a prominent Saudi journalist, was last seen going inside his country’s consulate in Istanbul on last Tuesday for routine paperwork, and he did not come out.
On Sunday, Turkish authorities said they believe he was killed inside the consulate, Reuters reported citing Turkish sources who described it as the deliberate targeting of a prominent critic of the Gulf kingdom's rulers.
His critical writings on Riyadh’s crackdown on press freedom had put him at odds with the Saud monarchy.
Accompanied by his Turkish fiance, Kashoggi visited the consulate to sort out some paperwork so that the couple could get married.
Kashoggi had arrived in Istanbul a couple of weeks ago. He's been living in the US since 2017.
In recent months, the Saudi monarchy has taken a much harsher stance against journalists and intellectuals who criticise its government by even minuscule margins.
As a journalist, he interviewed Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden several times in Afghanistan and Sudan, and served twice as editor of Al Watan newspaper.
Khashoggi gained a wide following with his appearances on Arab satellite television networks.
A consummate insider, he advised Prince Turki al-Faisal, former Saudi intelligence chief, and has also been close to billionaire investor Prince Alwaleed bin Talal.
A year ago, Khashoggi left Saudi Arabia after he said the authorities had instructed him to stop tweeting.
A veteran journalist, columnist and author, Kashoggi started his career in the 1980s as a reporter for an English language Saudi Gazette. He covered the Afghan war when the conflict was at its peak.
Known as the first journalist from a major Arab publication to cover the Afghan war, Khashoggi embedded with Arab fighters and even interviewed figures like Osama bin Laden, who at that time had the reputation of a war hero.
International news organisations often interview him for his deep understanding of political Islam. Though he had known Osama bin Laden for a long time, he cut off contact with him years before the 9/11 attacks.
Besides war reporting, he has worked for major Arabic language newspapers before switching to Jeddah-based English daily Arab News, where he covered the first Gulf war, and also reported from Algeria, Kuwait and Sudan.
He ultimately became the editor-in-chief of the Saudi-based newspaper Al-Watan and later the short-lived Al-Arab news channel.
A graduate of Indiana State University in the US, Kashoggi’s steadfastness as a journalist often landed him in hot water with authorities.
In 2003, he was fired as the editor-in-chief of progressive Al-Watan as the newspaper ran opinions and editorials questioning whether clerics should be allowed to make calls for holy war.
Between 2007 and 2009, Khashoggi served as a media aide to Prince Turki al Faisal while he was Riyadh’s ambassador to the United States and the UK.
Since he left Saudi Arabia in 2017, he has been writing regular columns for The Washington Post.
In his columns in the Post, he had been escalating his criticism of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman: accusing him of repressing the Saudi people, creating a mess in Lebanon and prosecuting a cruel war in Yemen.
Following are some excerpts from his writings in the Washington Post compiled by Reuters
Sep 18, 2017: Saudi Arabia Wasn't Always This Repressive. Now it's Unbearable.
"It anguishes me to speak with other Saudi friends in Istanbul and London who are also in self-exile. There are at least seven of us — are we going to be the core of a Saudi diaspora?
"We spend endless hours on the phone trying to understand this wave of arrests that have included my friend, businessman and thoughtful Twitter personality Essam Al-Zamil.
"It was just last Tuesday that he returned home from the United States, having been part of an official Saudi delegation. That is how breathtakingly fast you can fall out of favor with Saudi Arabia. It is all quite shocking. But this has not been business as usual in my country."
Nov 5, 2017: Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince is Acting like Putin
"As of now, I would say Mohammed bin Salman is acting like Putin. He is imposing very selective justice. The crackdown on even the most constructive criticism — the demand for complete loyalty with a significant "or else" — remains a serious challenge to the crown prince's desire to be seen as a modern, enlightened leader.
"Mohammed bin Salman rather famously bought a $500 million yacht in 2015. Rumours rippled across the kingdom of other extravagances. The buck stops at the leader's door. He is not above the standard he is now setting for the rest of his family, and for the country."
Nov 13, 2017: Saudi Arabia Is Creating a Total Mess in Lebanon
"As if we Arabs need another crisis in our shattered world — but that’s exactly what’s coming after the mysterious resignation of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri from Riyadh last Saturday and declarations from the Saudi royal court that Iran has officially crossed a red line.
"The impulsivity of MBS has been a consistent theme — from the war in Yemen to the wave of arrests of constructive critics, royals and senior officials accused of corruption. The severity of Saudi Arabia's action against Lebanon mirrors the blockade of Qatar in June — abrupt, with no room for negotiation"
Jan 3, 2018: Why Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Should be Worried about Iran's Protests
"Indeed, many Saudis must find it contradictory for their media to hail Iranians protesting price increases in Iran, while Saudis are banned from protesting the approximately doubled cost of fuel and the introduction of a sales tax for the first time in the country (which took effect Jan. 1). Just last week, Salih Shehi, a prominent columnist, was arrested for appearing on TV and defending the people's right to object.
"Ironically, these protests may well overlap with the seventh anniversary of the Jan. 25 Egyptian revolution that changed the face of the Arab world. Perhaps Arabs — and Saudis — will dare to say that they also want some of that Iranian freedom."
Feb 28, 2018: What Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Can Learn from Queen Elizabeth II
"MBS's downsizing and relative humbling of the House of Saud is welcome news. But maybe he should learn from the British royal house that has earned true stature, respect and success by trying a little humility himself. If MBS can listen to his critics and acknowledge that they, too, love their country, he can actually enhance his power."
Aug 7, 2018: Saudi Arabia Cannot Afford to Pick Fights With Canada
"Instead of lashing out at Canada, shouldn't we ask why peace-loving Canada has turned against us? We, Saudi citizens, need to see the bigger picture. Canada raised the flag against human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia. Surely, we cannot arbitrarily arrest female activists and expect the world to turn a blind eye."
Sep 11, 2018: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Must Restore Dignity to His Country — by Ending Yemen’s Cruel War
"The longer this cruel war lasts in Yemen, the more permanent the damage will be. The people of Yemen will be busy fighting poverty, cholera and water scarcity and rebuilding their country. The crown prince must bring an end to the violence and restore the dignity of the birthplace of Islam."
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