Missing Saudi Journalist: Human rights advocates urge UN to launch independent probe

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03:02

Journalists and human rights groups are calling on Turkey to seek an independent United Nations investigation into this case. They say a credible and comprehensive investigation is needed to seek justice for Khashoggi. His disappearance and possible killing has soured Saudi-Turkey relations and put Riyadh under intense international scrutiny. Our UN correspondent Liling Tan reports.

Human Rights Watch, the Committee to Protect Journalists, Reporters Without Borders and Amnesty International - the biggest names in human rights advocacy and press freedom on Thursday appealed for a UN inquiry into Jamal Khashoggi's disappearance and possible murder.

ROBERT MAHONEY COMMITTEE TO PROTECT JOURNALISTS "The endgame is justice. Justice for Jamal and the prosecution of all those who are responsible for his disappearance. We're still in a situation where we actually don't know whether he's alive or dead. We assume he's dead but we don't know that. So we want a process where we have an investigation where we can find out the truth."

We'd like to happen is for Turkey to invite the Secretary General to immediately establish a team of investigators, seasoned professionals with a lot of investigative experience, forensic criminal experience, with international experience to take charge of this.

The group believes an investigation under UN auspices is the best guarantee against Saudi efforts to whitewash or attempts by other governments to obscure the matter to preserve business ties with Riyadh.

They are asking Turkey to request a UN investigation, but concede that without Saudi cooperation, such an investigation could be limited in scope and scale.

LILING TAN UNITED NATIONS "Around the world, journalists have been targeted before, detained, or made to disappear. But what makes this different is that Jamal Khashoggi is well-known among the international press corps as a source, a colleague, and a friend. So for many of them, this strikes a raw nerve."

That, the circumstances in which he disappeared, and the gruesome allegations of torture and dismemberment, are being seen as an audacious assault on journalists, and freedom of the press.

At the UN's daily noon briefing, reporters have been pressing for UN comment, putting pressure on the international body to do something.

STEPHANE DUJARRIC UN SPOKESPERSON "The Secretary-General has repeatedly called for the truth to come out in this situation, and he remains very concerned about the fate of Mr. Khashoggi."

The UN said that they are closely monitoring the case, but rights groups say a lack of action would send a dangerous message that governments can suppress journalists without paying a price. Liling Tan, CGTN.