The primary suspect in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018, believed to be Saudi Arabia’s prime suspect, has reinstated his account following its permanent suspension by the previous owner of Elon Musk’s social media company X. Ta.
Saud al-Qahtani, a former key advisor to Mohammed bin Salman, was directly implicated in Khashoggi’s murder, according to US intelligence assessments released by the Biden administration in 2021.
It has been revealed that the crown prince had sanctioned Operation Grizzly in Turkey, resulting in the death of Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018. The US assessment also identified a 15-member Saudi team involved in the murder, including employees of the Saudi Center for Research and Media Affairs (CSMARC) headed by Qahtani, known as the “Lord of the Flies” among Saudi dissidents.
Qahtani and his subordinate Maher Mutreb were sanctioned by the US Treasury in 2018 for their roles in Khashoggi’s murder. Despite earlier sanctions, no evidence linking Qahtani to the crime has been presented.
The reactivation of Qahtani’s account remains unexplained, with speculation suggesting it could be part of Musk’s broader efforts to reinstate suspended users or a technical glitch.
Saudi Arabia, a major investor in X through Kingdom Holding, has had ties with the platform since 2011.
Formerly known as Twitter, X suspended Qahtani’s account in 2019, citing policy violations, shortly after he was reportedly removed from his advisory role. Saudi state media institutions were also targeted for amplifying pro-Saudi messages on social media networks.
After being suspended, Qahtani’s account, with 1.2 million followers, displayed a “suspended” message before going blank. The account is now active again, without new posts.
Qahtani visited New York before Khashoggi’s murder, as indicated by past tweets. Musk’s involvement in reinstating Qahtani’s account remains unclear.
An investigation revealed a network of pro-Saudi X accounts coordinating efforts to reinstate Qahtani’s account, possibly influenced by Saudi stakes in X.
Musk has reinstated other controversial figures on X, raising concerns about the platform’s policies and potential for manipulation. Company X’s media outlet did not provide a comment on the matter.
Source: www.theguardian.com
