The truth must come out "at all costs" on dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi's brutal killing in Istanbul in October, Italy's populist premier Giuseppe Conte told journalists in Rome on Friday.
"Also because of the savage methods used, we must find out the truth, at all cost," Conte told reporters at his end-of-year press conference.
Based on intelligence from the CIA, United States senators earlier this month said they were more certain than ever that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was responsible for Khashoggi's slaying at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on 2 October by a hit squad that flew in from Riyadh.
Conte recalled that he discussed Khashoggi's murder with Crown Prince bin Salman during a bilateral meeting at the G20 in Buenos Aires last month.
"I requested, also on behalf of our other European partners, that the full truth is established and that local authorities conduct a trial (of suspects in Khashoggi's killing) according to international standards," Conte stated.
Conte said he had also asked for an Italian expert to attend such a trial and that Italy's ambassador to Saudi Arabia be "kept informed".
