Saudi Arabia refuses to extradite suspects in Khashoggi case

Dec. 9 (UPI) -- Saudi Arabia's foreign minister ruled out the possibility of extraditing suspects to Turkey in the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

"We don't extradite our citizens," Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said when asked about the arrests at a 39th Gulf Cooperation Council, Turkey's Anadolu News Agency reported.

He said those guilty in the Saudi journalist's death have been referred to the Saudi prosecutor's office and that Saudi Arabia is open to receiving any evidence to help the investigation, but didn't comment on the legal process.

Turkish prosecutors said last week there was "strong suspicion" Saud al-Qahtani, an aide to the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and General Ahmed al-Asiri, the deputy head of foreign intelligence, were among those who allegedly planned to have Khashoggi killed.

In addition to refusing to extradite the suspects, Jubeir said Turkish authorities "have not been as forthcoming as we believe they should have been."

"We have asked our friends in Turkey to provide us with evidence that we can use in a court of law. We have not received it in the manner that it should have been received," he said.

Prosecutors in Riyadh identified 21 suspects and indicted 11, while the U.S. Treasury sanctioned 17 Saudi individuals in connection with the case in November.

Among those sanctioned were Salah Tubaigy; Meshal Albostani; Naif Alarifi; Mohammed Alzahrani; Mansour Abahussain; Khalid Alotaibi; Abdulaziz Alhawsawi; Waleed Alsehri; Thaar Alharbi; Fahad Albalawi; Badr Alotaibi; Mustafa Almadani; Saif Alqahtani and Turki Alsehri as well as Gen. Mohammed Alotaibi, who oversaw the Saudi consulate in Istanbul where Khashoggi was killed.