Khashoggi's fiancee says Washington's 'nothing happened' attitude after murder shameful

"Actually, Mike Pompeo's attitude during this visit is very much in line with the overall politics of the [President Donald] Trump administration. So it was not surprising for me, but it really was a shame for the United States. I believe that even US people will ask the US administration to respond for acting like nothing has happened," Cengiz said in an interview, when asked whether she was disappointed by Pompeo's behaviour.

She added that while no country had taken any concrete steps in relation to Khashoggi's murder, she still believed that the United States would be called upon to do something in this situation because of Washington's defiant behaviour.

"None of those steps that have been taken are solution-centered. So seeing this is really disappointing. I believe that the international community will call on the United States to act, since it is acting like nothing has happened," Cengiz said.

Khashoggi's fiancee also said she believed that Riyadh must pay for its actions and must be subject to sanctions pressure.

"Of course. Sanctions must be taken against Saudi Arabia. On the other hand, I am not yet competent to say how to do that or which procedures must be followed to ensure sanctions against Saudi Arabia. The international community will find it out, I am sure. I believe that Saudi Arabia must pay for its acts, and it's not rational to deny or contest the UN report," Cengiz said.

When asked whether Saudi Arabia should be suspended from the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) for its alleged involvement in the murder, Cengiz could not give a definite answer but said that she wanted Riyadh to shoulder the responsibility for the crime.

"I will not be that audacious to say [that Saudi Arabia should be banned from the HRC], but I will actually invite Saudi Arabia to take responsibility for this murder," Khashoggi's fiancee said.

The journalist, who worked as a columnist for The Washington Post newspaper and was a vocal critic of Saudi policies, went missing last October after he entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

Riyadh initially denied any knowledge of the journalist's whereabouts but later admitted that Khashoggi had been killed inside the building and his body was taken out of the consulate.

Saudi authorities have since charged 11 people with Khashoggi's murder, with the prosecution asking for death penalties for some of them. The journalist's body remains to be found.

Soon after the murder, US President Donald Trump dismissed the CIA report that implicated Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman in Khashoggi's death, and refused to go beyond sanctioning several Saudi individuals.

An independent human rights inquiry into the journalist's death was later initiated by UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions Agnes Callamard. Earlier in June, the rapporteur published her report, which concluded that Riyadh was responsible for the murder, which she described as premeditated. Callamard also determined that senior Saudi officials, including the crown prince, should be further investigated based on "credible evidence."