Saudi Arabia sentences five to death for Khashoggi murder but clears three top officials

(CNN)Saudi Arabia has sentenced five people to death for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi but cleared a former top adviser to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, a public prosecutor said Monday.

There was no evidence against Saud al-Qahtani, Saudi Deputy Public Prosecutor Shaalan al-Shaalan announced in a televised press conference Monday. A court also dismissed charges against Ahmed al-Assiri, a former deputy intelligence chief, and Mohammed al-Otaibi, Saudi's consul general in Istanbul when the murder took place, he said.
Al-Qahtani was sanctioned a year ago by the US Treasury for his alleged involvement in the murder.
Both al-Qahtani and al-Assiri were part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's inner circle and were relieved of their duties in the immediate aftermath of Khashoggi's killing in October 2018.