News Leaders Grateful For French Authorities' Action in Khashoggi Case

WASHINGTON, Dec. 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Following is a statement by Lisa Nicole Matthews, President of the National Press Club, and Angela Greiling Keane, President of the National Press Club Journalism Institute, on the news today that French authorities have detained Khalid Aedh al-Otaibi, who was preparing to travel to Saudi Arabia.

"We are grateful for the careful work of French authorities who today detained Khalid Aedh al-Otaibi. Otaibi was allegedly one of 15 people involved in the 2018 murder of Washington Post Opinion contributor Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. We understand that he will soon be extradited to Turkey, where he is expected to face charges. This is the first arrest in this matter outside of Saudi Arabia, and we believe this signals a new direction in the effort to obtain justice for Jamal."

Founded in 1908, the National Press Club is the world's leading professional organization for journalists. The Club has 3,000 members representing nearly every major news organization and is a leading voice for press freedom in the United States and around the world.

The National Press Club Journalism Institute, the Club's non-profit affiliate, promotes an engaged global citizenry through an independent and free press and equips journalists with skills and standards to inform the public in ways that inspire civic engagement.

Contact: Bill McCarren, 202-662-7500 for the National Press Club

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SOURCE National Press Club