Khashoggi sentence.

THE grisly murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the kingdom's Istanbul consulate last year caused shock and revulsion around the world, with questions raised globally about Riyadh's much-trumpeted reforms, spearheaded by powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Khashoggi, once close to the corridors of power in Saudi Arabia, had started writing more critical pieces, especially in the influential Western press, and many feel he was silenced for his work. There was an outcry across the globe, with calls for the killers to be punished - particularly repulsive was the fashion in which Khashoggi had been butchered, the gory details made public through media leaks. His remains have yet to be found. On Monday, Saudi officials announced that five suspects had been sentenced to death in the case. However, considering the highly opaque nature of the Saudi justice system, and the fact that some key suspects have been let off, there are justifiable questions about the transparency and legal merit of the trial.

The primary criticism of the Saudi sentence stems from the fact that the court found the diabolical act was...