Saudi King, Salman has praised the judiciary in his first public remarks since critic Jamal Khashoggi’s murder tipped the country into one of its worst crises.
The public prosecutor last week exonerated Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman of involvement in the murder in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2, but the CIA reportedly concluded he had ordered the assassination.
The prosecutor called for the death penalty against five men, announced indictments against 11 people and said a total of 21 individuals are in custody in connection with the killing.
In his speech, King Salman said they will ensure that the country never deviate from implementing God’s law without discrimination, without directly addressing the murder of The Washington Post columnist in his speech.
In Saudi Arabia’s absolute monarchy, only the king has the authority to oust the crown prince.
Prince Salman is facing intense global criticism over the murder.