Paris: A Saudi man held at Paris Airport for the alleged relationship with the murder of Jamal Khashoggi journalist was arrested because his passport triggered a warning, a police source said on Wednesday, after Saudi Arabia said it was the wrong case of identity.
The sources of French law enforcement have named the man arrested on Tuesday because of Khaled Aedh Al-Otaibi – the same name as the former Royal Saudi Guard member registered in Saudi sanctions and British sanctions and a report that was not assigned for being involved in the khashoggi murder.
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Saudi embassy in Paris said on Tuesday on Tuesday, the person who was arrested “has nothing to do with this case” and must be released soon.
The man was intercepted at the airport on Tuesday morning when his passport triggered a warning when scanned, the police source said on Wednesday.
The warning showed that he was desirable in connection with an inquiry of murder, the source said, added that the warning was based on the Turkish arrest warrant.
According to French law, the authorities have 48 hours since when he was intercepted at the airport – so until 10 am (0900 GMT) on Thursday – to verify who he is and will release him or start a potential extradition procedure.
The French police have a detailed passport and a rather poor quality image based on the Turkish arrest warrant, but there is no biometric information, the police source noted, adding that they could potentially request further information from Turkey.
A 2019 UN Investigation Report Said Al-Otaibi was a member of the Saudi 15 team involved in killing Khashoggi after the journalist went to the consulate to get a document to allow him to marry his fiancee.
Khashoggi, Washington Post Journalists and Critics of Saudi Arabia, Prince Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was last seen entering the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on October 2, 2018.
Turkish officials believed that his body was cut into pieces.
The rest has not been found.
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Intelligence released in March this year said Prince Mohammed had agreed to the operation to kill or capture Khashoggi.
The Saudi government has denied his involvement by the Crown Prince and rejected report findings.
Last weekend, French President Emmanuel spoke in Saudi Arabia with Prince Mohammed, became the first western leader to visit the kingdom since Khashoggi’s murder.