Jamal Ahmad Hamza Khashoggi was a prominent Saudi Arabian journalist, dissident, author, columnist, and editor known for his critical writings on Saudi politics and the Middle East. Born in Medina in 1958, he began his journalism career in the 1980s as a correspondent for various Saudi newspapers, covering events such as the Soviet-Afghan War. He held influential roles, including editor-in-chief of the Arabic-language newspaper Al Watan in 2003 and 2005, from which he was dismissed twice due to controversial articles. Initially aligned with the Saudi establishment, serving as an advisor to princes and ambassadors, Khashoggi became increasingly critical of the regime's authoritarianism, especially under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. In 2017, facing censorship and threats, he entered self-imposed exile in the United States and became a Washington Post columnist, where his op-eds strongly criticized Saudi policies on human rights, the Yemen war, and domestic repression, earning international acclaim as a voice for reform and press freedom. He also co-founded Al-Arab News, an online independent Arabic media outlet, which was blocked in Saudi Arabia. On October 2, 2018, Khashoggi was assassinated inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul while seeking documents for his marriage. The killing was carried out by a team of Saudi agents and widely attributed to orders from Mohammed bin Salman, according to U.S. intelligence assessments, sparking global outrage, sanctions, and diplomatic fallout. Despite denials of direct involvement by the crown prince, Khashoggi’s death cemented his legacy as a martyr for press freedom.