TRT World sources deny Jamal Khashoggi’s Apple Watch is part of the investigation into his disappearance after Turkish newspaper Sabah reported on Saturday the Saudi journalist may have recorded his own torture and murder at Saudi Arabia’s consulate in Istanbul.
The newspaper said Khashoggi turned on the recording function of his smartwatch before walking into the consulate on October 2.
Sabah said the audio of his “interrogation, torture and possible killing was recorded and automatically sent to both his iPhone and cloud account.”
Saudi intelligence noticed the watch on Khashoggi’s wrist “and tried to erase some files,” the paper said.
“The Saudi executioners first attempted to open the Apple watch by making password attempts. When they failed to do so, they used Khashoggi’s fingerprints to log in and try to erase some files.”
For the latest on the Khashoggi case, read here
A representative from Apple, however, confirmed the watches do not have fingerprint entry features, CNN reported on Saturday.
TRT World’s Francis Collins has more.
Riyadh on Saturday dismissed accusations that authorities there had ordered Khashoggi be murdered by a hit squad inside its Istanbul consulate as “lies and baseless allegations”.
But the row has intensified with the Washington Post reporting that Turkish officials have recordings made from inside the building that allegedly prove their claims Khashoggi was tortured and killed at the consulate.
The US, where Khashoggi lived and worked in recent years, is also keen on solving his disappearance.
Watch connected to mobile phone
According to Sabah, security forces leading the investigation found the audio recording from the iPhone Khashoggi left with Hatice Cengiz, his Turkish fiancee.
“He’d given it to her as she waited outside the consulate, telling her who to call if he didn’t come out of the building,” the report said, adding all the conversations of the Saudi executioners were recorded in this file.”
Saudi journalist and Washington Post contributor Khashoggi vanished after entering the consulate to obtain documents for his upcoming marriage.
On October 6, Reuters, quoting Turkish government sources, reported police believe he was killed, but Riyadh denies that.
Meanwhile, a Saudi delegation arrived in Turkey for talks, officials said on Friday, with the case risking fragile relations between Ankara and Riyadh.
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