Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Saturday that further investigations are needed after Saudi Arabia’s acknowledgment that journalist Jamal Khashoggi had died inside its Istanbul consulate.
“A lot still remains uncertain. What happened? How did he die? Who is responsible? I expect and I hope that all relevant facts will be clear as soon as possible,” Rutte told reporters in Copenhagen. “Thorough investigation is necessary”.
Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump described Saudi Arabia’s explanation behind Khashoggi’s death as credible; however U.S. lawmakers said they found it hard to believe, signalling a battle over what actions might be taken against Saudi Arabia, an important Western ally.
Saudi Arabia provided no evidence to support its account of the circumstances that led to Khashoggi’s death and it was unclear whether other governments would be satisfied with it.
But Trump, who has made close ties with Saudi Arabia a centre piece of his foreign policy, said in Arizona: “I think it’s a good first step, it’s a big step.”
