The Institute for Global Change, which is headed by former British Labor Prime Minister Tony Blair, continued to receive money from the Saudi Arabian government for consulting activities even after the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018, the British newspaper The Sunday Times wrote on Sunday. EFE and Agerpres agencies.

Since 2017, the relevant institute has been involved in the development of the “Vision 2030” modernization program, a program coordinated by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman, the country’s de facto leader.

After US intelligence agencies concluded that the crown prince was the one who ordered the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the former British prime minister intended to review “generally” his ties with Saudi Arabia and “several senior officials (from the Institute) suggested , that there are ethical and reputational reasons for this,” the British weekly notes.

“However, (Blair) feared he would lose his influence with the Saudi crown prince,” said The Sunday Times, which accompanied its article with a statement from the Tony Blair-led institute.

“Maintaining this relationship was justified,” says the Tony Blair-led institute

In this statement, a representative of the said institute acknowledges its participation in Saudi Arabia’s “Vision 2030” program in the period after Khashoggi’s murder, despite the “concern” caused by this “horrific” crime.

But, as the text adds, the “opinion” of the former Labor prime minister of Great Britain “then and now” is that “the maintenance of this relationship was justified by the importance” of the reforms promised by Muhammad bin Salman, as well as the “strategic importance” of the Saudi Arabia for the west.

“The renewed commitment of the United States and Western countries to Saudi Arabia and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman shows that this was the right decision,” the same statement said.

Jamal Khashoggi, who wrote for The Washington Post and other publications critical of Mohammed bin Salman, entered the Saudi Arabian consulate building in Istanbul on October 2, 2018 to complete some formalities, but never came out and his body was never found. The Chief Prosecutor of Istanbul, Irfan Fidan, concluded after the investigation that the journalist was killed by strangulation, and then his body was dismembered.