Egyptian woman comes forward as Khashoggi’s secret wife

An Egyptian woman has come forward claiming to be the wife of slain Saudi Journalist Jamal Khashoggi whom he had married in a secret Islamic ceremony.

The religious ceremony reportedly took place in the United States in June this year, months before Khashoggi was killed at the Consulate of Saudi Arabia in Turkey while seeking papers needed to marry his Turkish fiancée Hatice Cengiz.

Speaking to the Washington Post, the woman, 50, requested to be identified by her first initial and last name, H. Atr, citing concern for her security and her job.

Khashoggi, a frequent contributor to The Washington Post, was killed Oct. 2 inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

Members of Khashoggi’s family declined to comment on the marriage. His Turkish fiancée, Hatice Cengiz, told WP during a telephone interview that she was not aware of Khashoggi’s relationship with Atr and questioned her motives.

“Jamal never told me about this woman,” Cengiz said. “Why is she trying to change the picture people have of Jamal? What does she want? . . . I suspect that this is an attempt to discredit him and hurt his reputation.”

In an interview, Atr said she was coming forward to reveal her relationship with Khashoggi because “as a Muslim wife, I want my full right and to be recognized.”

The woman said she handed over photos and other evidence to a Saudi consulate in the Middle East and that she last saw Khashoggi in September.

A number of accounts pertaining to supporters of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman shared photos of Atr with Khashoggi in a bid to smear him.

If she can prove that she was the slain journalist’s legitimate wife, she would be able to lay a claim to part of any compensation that Riyadh would offer Khashoggi’s family.

After weeks of denying any involvement in the crime, Saudi Arabia later admitted that Khashoggi had been killed inside the consulate but claimed the Saudi royal family had no prior knowledge of any plot to murder the journalist.

According to reports, Turkish investigators found traces of "hydrofluoric acid and other chemicals" inside a well at the Saudi consul general's home in Istanbul, suggesting Khashoggi’s body was dissolved in acid and other chemicals.

On Thursday, Saudi Arabia’s chief prosecutor’s office announced it had charged 11 out of 21 suspects in relation to the murder, seeking the death penalty for five of the suspects.

The CIA believes Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the killing of Khashoggi, sources familiar with the matter said on Friday, complicating President Donald Trump's efforts to preserve ties with a key U.S. ally.

The sources said the CIA had briefed other parts of the U.S. government, including Congress, on its assessment, which contradicts Saudi government assertions that Prince Mohammed was not involved.