Amnesty International's Middle East Director of Research Lynn Maalouf said the end of the "10-month ordeal" welcome news but urged the court to drop the "bogus charges" against the activists.

The CIA reportedly has a taping of a call in which Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman gave orders to “silence Jamal Khashoggi as soon as possible”.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman personally ordered the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey last month, the CIA has concluded, according to anonymous sources who spoke with the Washington Post and Reuters.

Across the continent in Mauritania, the Islamic republic has twice issued statements in support of Saudi Arabia since Khashoggi's disappearance, saying: "Mauritania is also confident in Saudi justice." Another foreign ministry statement denounced the "campaign of false allegations.

His death is key to understanding the political forces that helped turn the Middle East from a region of hope seven years ago to one of brutal repression and slaughter today.