The United Nations has announced its report on the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a journalist killed at the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul.

In the report, UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial and Arbitrary Executions, Agnes Callamard, said Saudi Arabia should accept responsibility for the murder of Khashoggi, and that "the killing of Khashoggi is an extrajudicial execution that the Saudi state is responsible for".

"Saudi Arabia must apologize to the Turkish government because of the abuse of diplomatic privileges and strong evidence that senior Saudi officials have played a role in the Khashoggi murder," she said.

Calling on the US, the report asked to "open a FBI investigation into the execution of Mr. Khashoggi, if one is not already open, and pursue criminal prosecutions within the United States, as appropriate".

It called on the European Members States to "stand ready to impose targeted sanctions, including visa bans and asset freezes against Saudi individuals, as well as human rights sanctions against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia" on both the perpetrators of and the masterminds behind the killing.

​Targeted sanctions against the individuals and/or entities in Saudi Arabia that were likely involved in the murder of Mr. Khashoggi must continue. However, in view of the credible evidence into the responsibilities of the Crown Prince for his murder, such sanctions ought also to include the Crown Prince and his personal assets abroad, until and unless evidence is provided and corroborated that, he carries no responsibilities for this execution.

The Special Rapporteur recognizes the political sensitivity of this matter but stresses that under the laws of immunity and inviolability there is no prohibition against sanctioning individuals holding positions such as that of the Crown Prince.

Callamard said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres should launch a criminal investigation into the murder of Khashoggi.

We "strongly endorse UN Rapporteur Agnes Callamard’s recommendations for elucidating Khashoggi’s murder and holding those responsible accountable", said Turkish Foreign Ministry in a twit after the report has been released. (ILKHA)