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‘Blood Money’: Slain Saudi Journalist’s Children Getting Payouts From Riyadh

© AP Photo / Virginia MayoFILE - In this Jan. 29, 2011 file photo, Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi speaks on his cellphone at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Khashoggi was a Saudi insider
FILE - In this Jan. 29, 2011 file photo, Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi speaks on his cellphone at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Khashoggi was a Saudi insider - Sputnik International
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Jamal Khashoggi’s four children ‒ two sons and two daughters ‒ have been given homes and receiving ongoing financial compensation from the Saudi government since their father was slain inside a Saudi consulate last year, The Washington Post reported.

The children have been given multi-million-dollar houses in the Saudi city of Jeddah and monthly payments of $10,000 each, the outlet reported, saying sources close to the family and the Saudi kingdom, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, confirmed this to them.

The Post reported that the houses given to the slain journalist's children are valued at $4 million each.

A poster of missing Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi - Sputnik International
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News of the payments comes a few months prior to the scheduled trials of Khashoggi's alleged killers — and they appear to have been approved by King Salman at the end of last year. They are part of the kingdom's efforts to quell the blowback following the journalist's disappearance. 

According to Saudi law, Khashoggi's children can grant their father's killers clemency in exchange for "blood money" — payments that in this case could amount to millions of dollars.

The security chief for Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon and current owner of The Washington Post, has openly accused the Saudi kingdom of hacking his phone in retaliation for the newspaper's coverage of Khashoggi's murder. Khashoggi was a columnist for the Post, and a US resident.

After a few weeks of denial, the Saudi government acknowledged Khashoggi's killing in October 2018, fired top officials and arrested 18 operatives accused of killing the journalist. The trial proceedings have been secretive, and not many details are known to the public.

The CIA reportedly concluded with medium to high confidence that Prince Mohammad bin Salman — or MBS as he more commonly known — had prior knowledge of Khashoggi's killing. US President Donald Trump has remained neutral on the issue, saying, "Maybe he did, maybe he didn't."

Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (C) welcomes U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump (2-R) as they arrive aboard Air Force One at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia May 20, 2017 - Sputnik International
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Khashoggi's children have disagreed on how to protect their father's legacy, according sources close to the family. While his daughters have been outspoken about their father, his sons have remained focused on receiving the maximum financial compensation from the crown prince. Abdullah Khashoggi, one of the columnist's sons, apparently said, "I want the da Vinci", referencing a painting the crown prince paid a large sum for in 2017. 

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