An Istanbul court has opened the trial of 20 Saudi nationals who are charged with the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The trial began at the main court in Caglayan district on Friday, reported Al Jazeera. 

Khashoggi, who had been working as a columnist for Washington Post was murdered at the Saudi consulate on October 2, 2018. He had gone to the consulate premises to clear the paperwork for his planned marriage. 

Turkish officials had indicted 20 Saudi nationals over the murder. The list included big names like Ahmed al-Assiri who worked as deputy head of Saudi Arabia’s general intelligence and Saud al-Qahtani who was an adviser to the Saudi Crown prince. The suspects charged with “premeditated torturous murder with monstrous intent,” are being tried in absentia. 

Khashoggi’s fiancée Hatice Cengiz is hopeful that the trial would provide new clues regarding the whereabouts of his remains. According to Turkish officials, his body was mutilated at the consulate and its remains are yet to be found. 

“I will continue to pursue all legal avenues to hold Jamal’s killers accountable and I will not rest until we get justice for Jamal. Jamal’s killers and those who ordered his murder have evaded justice thus far. I hope this criminal case in Turkey brings to light the whereabouts of Jamal’s body, the evidence against the killers, and the evidence of those behind the gruesome murder,” she told CNN.