A Year After Jamal Kashoggi's Death, The World Still Seeks Answers

Vigil for Khashoggi at Saudi Consulate in Istanbul — People take part in a candle light vigil to remember journalist Jamal Khashoggi outside the Saudi Arabia consulate on October 25, 2018 in Istanbul, Turkey. Jamal Khashoggi, a U.S. resident and critic of the Saudi regime, went missing after entering the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul on October 2. More than two weeks later Riyadh announced he had been killed accidentally during an altercation with Saudi consulate officials, however as investigations continue new information surfaced, pointing to a brutal and planned murder contradicting previous claims.

Zoe Mathews is a producer for Boston Public Radio and the producer of The Scrum podcast.

October 02, 2019

Updated August 07, 2023

A new FRONTLINE documentary, " The Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia," highlights how Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi went from an early champion of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to a victim in a murder plot that the CIA believes the crown prince ordered one year ago.

In his first public comments on Khashoggi’s killing, Prince Mohammed told FRONTLINE’s Martin Smith in the documentary that the murder happened “under his watch” but without his knowledge.

Smith joined Boston Public Radio on Tuesday to discuss the documentary — which aired on Tuesday, a day before the year anniversary of Kashoggi's murder — and what may come next as the world tries to hold someone responsible for the journalist's death.

"I think the UN could step up here. I think all countries could," said Smith. "The Trump administration is unwilling, for its various reasons, to put more pressure on the crown prince. [The Saudis are] just hoping they can shut the door and the storm will pass. We're at this anniversary period now of the murder. ... They're just going to board up the windows and ride up the storm. I think they're very surprised it's still a matter of concern around the world. I think they thought this would pass — that was the sense I had, talking to Saudis."