The Atlantic

The Strange Case of the Dissident Saudi Journalist Who Disappeared

Jamal Khashoggi hasn’t been seen or heard from since Tuesday, when he visited the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
Source: Osman Orsal / Reuters

Jamal Khashoggi was under no illusion about what would happen to him if he returned to Saudi Arabia. In a last year in about a wave of detentions in the country, the self-exiled Saudi dissident said he too “could face arrest” if he returned home. Yet that’s essentially what he did when he visited the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, with his fiancée; they were reportedly there to obtainpaperwork they needed in order to get married. Khashoggi left his cell phone with her and entered the building at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday. “We were trying to marry.”

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from The Atlantic

The Atlantic5 min readAmerican Government
What Nikki Haley Is Trying to Prove
This is an edition of The Atlantic Daily, a newsletter that guides you through the biggest stories of the day, helps you discover new ideas, and recommends the best in culture. Sign up for it here. Nikki Haley faces terrible odds in her home state of
The Atlantic5 min read
The Strangest Job in the World
This is an edition of the Books Briefing, our editors’ weekly guide to the best in books. Sign up for it here. The role of first lady couldn’t be stranger. You attain the position almost by accident, simply by virtue of being married to the president
The Atlantic5 min readSocial History
The Pro-life Movement’s Not-So-Secret Plan for Trump
Sign up for The Decision, a newsletter featuring our 2024 election coverage. Donald Trump has made no secret of the fact that he regards his party’s position on reproductive rights as a political liability. He blamed the “abortion issue” for his part

Related Books & Audiobooks