Salah Khashoggi, the eldest son of the late Saudi critic, published the pardon in a tweet on Friday. "On this virtuous night of (Ramadan), we recall the words of Almighty God ... whoever forgives and makes connections, his reward comes from Allah", we read in the statement, referring to Laylit el Qader , or the Night of Power, considered by Islam to be the holiest night of the year.
"So we, the sons of martyr Jamal Khashoggi, announce that we have forgiven (those) who killed our father," the family added in the statement. Muslim governments generally grant pardons for the month of Ramadan.
Overall, 11 people were tried for the murder of Khashoggi, which sparked a worldwide outcry and damaged the kingdom's reputation.
The families of the condemned are now required to pay blood money to the family of Khashoggi. If they cannot afford the payment, the state can pay instead, in addition to the state money already given to the family.
Last year, a source told CNN that the family received millions of US dollars in cash and assets to compensate for the murder. Khashoggi's sons denied having received any blood cash settlement from the Saudi government.
"Parody of Justice"
The United Nations rapporteur on extrajudicial executions, Agnes Callamard, who conducted a high-profile investigation into the murder of Khashoggi, called family forgiveness "the final act of the travesty of justice".
"Saudi Arabia has repeatedly proven that it will not do justice to Jamal Khashoggi. This is the last piece of the Saudi impunity puzzle, the final act of the travesty of justice played before an audience. The killers will walk freely. Exempt, "Callamard said in a tweet Friday after the family's announcement.
Khashoggi's fiancée Hatice Cengiz also tweeted her disapproval of forgiveness: "The killers came from Saudi Arabia with premeditation to lure, ambush and kill him. No one has the right to forgive the killers, We will not forgive the killers or those who ordered the murder. "
"Jamal Khashoggi has become an international symbol greater than all of us, admired and loved. His ambush and his heinous murder have no [statute] of limitations and no one has the right to forgive his killers. Me and the others won't stop until we get justice for Jamal. "
In a report from last year, Callamard concluded that Saudi Arabia was responsible under international law for "willful and premeditated execution" and called for an investigation into the role of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, claiming that there was "credible evidence meriting further investigation by a competent authority" as to whether "the threshold of criminal responsibility has been reached".
American intelligence concluded that the crown prince had ordered the murder of Khashoggi. Saudi authorities have denied the allegations.
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