Saudi Arabia has told a UN human rights review that it's investigating the killing of a Saudi journalist at its Istanbul consulate, adding it will prosecute those responsible.
For more on this and other news around the world we turn to our Ro Aram….
Aram… international pressure keeps mounting on Riyadh…
That's right Mark… The Saudi delegation at the first UN review of the kingdom's rights record in five years was grilled by member states on Monday.
The delegation was headed by Bandar Al Aiban, who said the Saudi King had personally ordered a probe into the killing of Jamal Khashoggi.
"….. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has already expressed its regret and pain for the death of Jamal Khashoggi. King Abdulaziz has already instructed the prosecution to proceed with the investigation into this case according to the applicable laws, in preparation to reaching all facts and bring all the perpetrators to justice in order to bear the facts to the public."
More than 40 member states, including the U.S., called on Saudi Arabia to carry out a thorough and transparent investigation, with many also calling for reform to the Kingdom's freedom of expression laws.
Aiban gave no details on the status or whereabouts of the 18 Saudi nationals detained in connection with the case and declined to answer journalists' questions about them.
Riyadh is under intense global pressure to give a credible account of Khashoggi's killing and to reveal where his body is.
Khashoggi's sons issued an emotional appeal on Monday for the return of their father's body.
Turkey believes Khashoggi's body was dismembered, while other reports suggest it was dissolved in acid.
