Citing the “considerable public importance” of federal government records on the killing Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a U.S. district judge ordered the Departments of State and Defense to release 5,000 pages monthly related to the killing. Open government advocates who sued for the records said it is crucial to gain the records given the urgency of the issue. The government said releasing the records would tie up their staffs, keeping them from responding to other Freedom of Information Act requests. (kpbs, August 6, 2019, by Richard Gonzales of NPR)
Since Khashoggi’s murder in the Saudi Arabia consulate in Istanbul Turkey on October 2, 2018, Pen America has been pushing for transparency and accountability in the case. The advocacy group is concerned about the the Trump administration’s failure to press for truth and justice.