BBC under fire for publishing off-air comments made by Jamal Khashoggi shortly before disappearance
The BBC is facing criticism for publishing off-air comments Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi made before a radio interview three days before he disappeared in Turkey.
BBC Newshour released a recording of the journalist speaking informally to presenters before the show went live, when he said: “I don’t think I will be able to go home [to Saudi Arabia]” because of the fear of arrest."
The BBC posted on Twitter: “We wouldn't normally release this conversation but we've decided to make an exception in light of the circumstances.”
Mr Khashoggi, a prominent journalist who had at times been critical of Saudi's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has not been heard from or seen since entering Riyadh's consulate in Istanbul last Tuesday.
Turkish officials have said they believe he was murdered inside the diplomatic mission and his body spirited away, claims they have not provided any proof for and which the kingdom has denied.
The BBC's decision was widely criticised on social media by people who said the broadcaster should not have aired the off-the-record comments without Mr Khashoggi’s consent and could further endanger him if he is still alive.
“I find this unacceptable, and it makes me think twice about any conversations I'll have off-air with any medium,” tweeted HA Hellyer, senior nonresident fellow and the Royal United Services Institute.
“If I am detained (and I have been) the last thing I want is someone recklessly releasing off the record conversations I've done about my captors.”
A BBC Spokesperson said: “We took great care in deciding to broadcast Mr Khashoggi’s words and considered the implications carefully. In light of the circumstances, his view that the deteriorating environment for free speech in Saudi Arabia meant he could not return to live there, is important and relevant information.
"We do not believe this broadcast could endanger him further, especially considering his longstanding criticism of the Saudi authorities, expressed far more stridently in his newspaper columns.”
After more than a week of silence, the UK government on Tuesday urged Saudi Arabia to provide “urgent answers” on the 59-year-old's fate.
The US State Department later called on Saudi Arabia “to support a thorough investigation of Mr. Khashoggi's disappearance and to be transparent about the results of that investigation”.
Turkish investigators are focused on two private Gulfstream jets which landed in Istanbul on the day Mr Khashoggi disappeared, according to several pro-government Turkish newspapers.
One jet, carrying nine people, allegedly landed in the early hours of October 2. Its passengers checked into two hotels near the consulate and booked rooms until October 5. However, all nine apparently checked out the same day and returned to the airport, where they flew on to the UAE.
The second jet, carrying six people, reportedly landed later in the day. Its passengers went straight to the consulate and then left in the evening for Egypt. Both flights allegedly later returned to Riyadh.
Investigators reportedly believe that Mr Khashoggi’s body might have been smuggled out of the consulate in diplomatic vans and then carried onto one of the planes.
The details will add to pressure on the Saudi government to explain who the 15 Saudis were and what they were doing during their brief trip to Istanbul.
