The family of assassinated Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi on Wednesday denied being in talks to reach a settlement out of court with the Saudi authorities following reports that his sons had accepted payouts.
“Currently, the trial is taking place and no settlement discussion had been or is discussed,” read an English statement posted to Salah Khashoggi’s verified Twitter account.
The Washington Post on April 1 reported Khashoggi’s children, including Salah, had received multimillion-dollar homes and were being paid thousands of dollars each month by the Saudi authorities.
Khashoggi, a vociferous critic of the Saudi government, was killed and dismembered in October at the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul by a team of 15 agents sent from Riyadh.
His body has not been recovered.
Saudi Arabia’s powerful crown prince Mohammed bin Salman has been accused of masterminding Khashoggi’s killing, but a local investigation cleared him.
Riyadh initially said it had no knowledge of Khashoggi’s fate, later blaming rogue agents for his death.
Saudi Arabia’s public prosecutor has charged 11 people over the murder.
– with reporting by Agence France-Presse
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