Riyadh, December 23, 2019, SPA -- The National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) has welcomed today's preliminary ruling of the court in the case of Jamal Khashoggi murder; five of the accused will receive the capital punishment (those who committed the crime); three will serve prison sentences of various lengths totaling in all 24 years, for attempting to cover up this crime and violating rules and regulations; three are found not guilty of violating any public or private rights. In a statement, NSHR Chairman Dr. Mufleh bin Rubian Al-Qahtani disclosed that this ruling affirms the Kingdom's stance to this case which was clearly, since the beginning, calling for the necessity of revealing a truth and punishing perpetrators. He affirmed that the society attended the sessions of this trial, since the beginning, in the Criminal Court in Riyadh, where the number of those referred to trial reached 11 defendants, including a capital punishment for 5 individuals, adding that the parties to the case, including defendants, lawyers, public prosecution and plaintiffs of the private right, have a right to present what they had before the closure of the pleading and issuance of the ruling. Al-Qahtani pointed out that these rulings issued today affirmed the keenness of the authorities in light of the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud on this case which decisively sought to hold accountable all those who participated in this crime in a manner that achieves justice and preserves the rights of the relatives of the victim, stressing that this ruling puts an end against anyone who tried to use this case to offend the Kingdom's reputation and leadership. The NSHR Chairman said that the time has come to stop this organized campaign that targeted the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as an entity with the aim of undermining its reputation politically and economically as well as its record of human rights. The trial sessions were attended by human rights bodies and foreign diplomats. The relatives of the victim attended the session of issuing the ruling. --SPA 18:34 LOCAL TIME 15:34 GMT 0016 www.spa.gov.sa/w1233826