Khashoggi’s secret text messages – Are these why Saudi Arabia murdered him?

In over 400 text messages sent between Mr Khashoggi and fellow Saudi exile Omar Abdulaziz, the journalist talks about creating an online youth resistance against the Saudi government.  He referred to MbS as a “beast” and a “Pac-man” who is willing to devour anyone in his path, including his supporters. In one message, Mr Khashoggi said: “The more victims he eats, the more he wants.

“I will not be surprised if the oppression will reach even those who are cheering him on.”

As the two talked further, they began to discuss creating an online youth movement that would hold the Saudi government to account.

Mr Abdelaziz told CNN: “Jamal believed that MbS is the issue, is the problem and he said this kid should be stopped.”

However, in August, Mr Abdulaziz began to believe their conversations were being intercepted.

The Saudi journalist told his fellow exile: “God help us.”

Just two months later, Mr Khashoggi was murdered.

Following the killing, Mr Abdulaziz filed a lawsuit in Israel against the Israeli company NSO Group for selling the technology to the Saudis.

His lawyer in Israel, Alaa Mahajna said: “NSO should be held accountable in order to protect the lives of political dissidents, journalists and human rights activists.”

In a statement, NSO Group said: “Our products have a long track record of assisting governments in preventing suicide bombers, stopping drug lords and sex traffickers, and helping safely return victims of kidnapping.

“If there is suspicion of misuse, we investigate it and take the appropriate actions, including suspending or terminating a contract.”

Despite the lawsuit, Mr Abdulaziz expressed severe regret over the hacking.

He said: “The hacking of my phone played a major role in what happened to Jamal, I am really sorry to say.

“The guilt is killing me.”

The plan that Mr Khashoggi and Mr Abdulaziz came up with was to use the journalist’s profile and the exile in Canada’s large Twitter following to create a digital offensive that they call “cyber bees” who would document human rights abuses in the Kingdom and produce short films for mobile distribution.

Mr Abdulaziz said: “Twitter is the only tool they’re using to fight and to spread their rumours. We’ve been attacked, we’ve been insulted, we’d been threatened so many times, and we decided to do something.”

However, a month after the came up with the idea to send intractable SIM cards to other dissidents around the world so that they could tweet anonymously, Mr Abdulaziz received word from the Saudis that say that they knew what they were planning.

He subsequently warned Mr Khashoggi about this.

Since the Saudis had access to the all of the messages, they could see messages sent by Mr Khashoggi saying of MbS: “He loves force, oppression and needs to show them off, but tyranny has no logic.”

Not long after warning Mr Khashoggi about the intercepted messages, Mr Abdulaziz received a message from Saudi emissaries asking him to meet.

The dissident in Canada secretly recorded 10 hours of his conversations with Abdullah and Malek who told him that MbS had sent them to offer him a job because the Crown Prince was impressed with his Twitter feed.

The emissaries also mentioned MbS’ media enforcer, now under investigation for allegedly masterminding the Khashoggi murder, Saud al-Qathani.

One of the men said: “If Saud al Qathani himself hears your name, he will immediately know and you can meet with Prince Mohammed directly.”

They asked Mr Abdulaziz to come by the Saudi embassy to pick up some paperwork, but he ultimately refused because of his friend’s advice.

He said: “He told me not to go and only to meet them in public places.”

On October 2, Mr Khashoggi went to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul because he was told that he needed to pick up documents so that he could get married.

He was then tortured and murdered. His body is still yet to be found.

The Express

UM– USEKE.RW