A year after Kashog's murder, she says engaged: I would never have thought that hate would go this far

“I am disappointed”, says engaged in interview with Deutsche Welle.

Hatage Cengiz is engaged to the murdered journalist and Saudi government critic Jamal Kashogi. On October 2, 2018, on the day of his murder, she accompanied him to the Saudi consulate. The fiancé just wanted to hand over a marriage document, Hattage waited in front of the building. But he no longer came out alive from the consulate: A special commando from Saudi Arabia killed Jamal Kashogi, and eventually cut his body to pieces. A year after the assassination, Hatage Cengiz talks about Deutsche Welle.

Deutsche Welle: If you look back a year later and think about the murder of your fiancé, Jamal, what were the intentions of those who killed him?
Hatage Cengiz: Jamal at the moment of his murder was a person who posed great danger to the politics of Saudi Arabia. But I would never have imagined that hate would go so far that they just one day would eliminate it. Jamal never thought of that. In the eyes of the rulers of Saudi Arabia, he was someone who openly told things to hide. It was added that his critical positions, he wanted to spread through the establishment of a US political think tank. In short: The government could no longer bear this influential opponent.

An investigative report by the United Nations, released in June, contained terrible details about the murder of Kashog. The report concluded: Saudi Arabia is clearly responsible for the murder. Are you satisfied with international co-operation in whitening the assassination?

Investigations in Turkey have not yet come to a final conclusion. There's evidence that we'll be informed of the investigation stage soon. The United Nations report makes great sense to me. It is even encouraging because he brings up certain accusations. On the other hand, he had a major global echo. When it first became known, I still had hope, that EU states on this basis would impose sanctions. But no country has taken concrete steps. No sentence has resulted from this. I think sanctions would be necessary. This has disappointed me.

You have contacts in the United States. What did you learn from your conversations about killing your fiancé, Jamal Kashogi?
Members of the American Congress are unhappy, which so far have not taken concrete steps. They have mentioned that they are working on certain laws to prevent Saudi Arabia from conducting such murder operations in the future. They're always committed, so Trump's policy is not perceived as American representative politics.

Investigations in Turkey still continue. Are you regularly informed of them?
No, I naturally follow the news. As far as you know, the prosecution will soon issue a statement. But I have no personal contact with the authorities.

How did you comment on the statement of Saudi prince Muhammad bin Salman, who will take responsibility?
It sounds like a political maneuver to me. Many decisionmakers in Saudi Arabia have expressed themselves in the same way. I feel such claims, as an attempt to ease some of the pressure of opinion. He says he'll take responsibility. But at the same time, he claims he knew nothing about it. That doesn't make sense to me.