Hanan Elatr Khashoggi, widow of the late journalist Jamal Khashoggi, criticized President Trump on Tuesday for dismissing U.S. intelligence linking the Saudi crown prince to the journalist's death, calling the president “misinformed.”
“I would tell Mr. Trump I believe you don’t have a real idea about what is Jamal Khashoggi,” she said. “Jamal Khashoggi was a brave man, is a great man, and a transparent and honest man. I believe he’s misinformed about my husband, and I’m willing to meet with the president and give him the right idea about my husband and to seek his help for a full justice for myself and my husband.”
“Even if he heard he’s not loved by everybody — which is normal,” she added. “But it does not justify to kidnap him, torture him, and kill him and dismiss his body.”
It came after President Trump met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House — their first meeting since Khashoggi was killed in 2018.
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President Trump referred to Khashoggi as "extremely controversial" and claimed the crown prince "knew nothing" about his death. U.S. intelligence, however, has found the crown prince was behind the push to target Khashoggi, allegations he denies.
Hanan Elatr Khashoggi is still pushing for the return of her husband's body seven years after he was murdered in the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul. She also told Scripps News the optics of the meeting between Trump and Salman were troubling in terms of human rights and justice.
“This is why I’m against it,” she said. “I’m with the normal relation and go on with the old type of deal — economic deal, weapon-selling, and any type of deal — but in another hand, I will appreciate and I ask to keep the American value for human rights and democracy. And to cover such a crime without full justice, it does not look the foreign policy ... it doesn’t put it in a right place.”
Watch Scripps News full interview with Hanan Elatr Kashoggi, widow to the late Washington Post journalist, in the video player above.
