RIYADH, Saudi Arabia �� Saudi Arabia's about-face admission that journalist and government critic Jamal Khashoggi was killed in its consulate in Istanbul this month sent shock through a country where many had believed �� and defended �� initial claims that the authorities had nothing to do with it.
"A very sad day for this nation, to see what the country had descended into," said a Saudi man said spoke on the condition of anonymity to criticize a government that tolerates virtually no dissent. "No country is perfect, but used to be proud that the country had a certain morality that aligned with Arabian values. We lost that forever unfortunately."
The Saudi government admitted early Saturday that Khashoggi was killed Oct. 2 after "discussions" turned violent in the diplomatic mission where he went for marriage documents. Khashoggi died after he was placed in a chokehold, according to a person with knowledge of the matter. King Salman removed a top royal adviser, and prosecutors said 18 others had been detained in the case.
The authorities gave no explanation for the abrupt reversal from previous professions of innocence. In an interview the day after Khashoggi was reported missing, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said the Washington Post contributor left the consulate unscathed. Under mounting international pressure, Salman ordered an internal investigation last week.
While U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed Saturday's moves as "a good first step," the admission met widespread skepticism in Washington and other capitals. Turkish media cited unidentified officials as saying they have audio recordings and other evidence Khashoggi was tortured and dismembered by Saudi agents within minutes of arriving at the consulate.
The crisis has revealed vulnerabilities for 33-year-old prince Mohammed as he faces the strongest questioning of his rule among skeptics abroad since he was appointed crown prince last year. The adviser the king removed Saturday, Saud al-Qahtani, was a prominent aide to the prince.
"I'm furious about what happened," said a Saudi in his late 30s. "I hate when Saudi officials get carried away and torture people. We heard many stories during the 1980s and thought it was behind us. And now this."
While some accepted Saturday's news, several Saudis said they did not believe the new story.
"Why couldn't they say where they dumped the body?" said a 24-year-old Saudi woman in Jeddah. "If he did die during a fistfight, finding that out shouldn't have taken this long."
One Saudi man said he found it hard to believe that Mohammed had known nothing about the case if al-Qahtani was involved, although the authorities didn't publicly link his dismissal to the Khashoggi case.
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(Donna Abu-Nasr, Sarah Algethami and Salma El Wardany contributed to this report.)
