Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. — AFP/File
The United States government has given political asylum to the widow of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was allegedly killed at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, according to the BBC.
The widow of Khashoggi, Hanan Elatr, arrived in the US in August 2020 to seek asylum because she was afraid for her safety after he was killed in 2018.
The BBC, citing reviewed documents, stated that on November 28, she was awarded indefinite asylum status.
“We did win,” Elatr told the BBC, emotion catching in her throat. “Yes, they took Jamal’s life and they destroyed my life, but we did win.”
Elatr, who is a former flight attendant, had applied for political asylum in the US over three years ago, fearing her life would be in danger if she returned to Egypt or the United Arab Emirates — her home of more than 25 years.
She lived in Maryland for months, abandoning her job and life, and her attorney, Randa Fahmy, confirmed this in an interview.
Eventually, she was able to obtain a work permit in October 2021 to begin her new life in the US and she now has a job and apartment — though she struggles to make ends meet.
“It’s been a lengthy process,” Fahmy said.
Despite the time it took, Elatr expressed gratitude to President Joe Biden and his administration for “opening the door for me”. She said she is “relieved from feeling scared”.
Elatr was interviewed by US immigration services in March, a process described as “pretty traumatic” due to the detailed and repetitive nature of the interview.
The expected response was 60-90 days, but ongoing negotiations between the US, Saudi Arabia, and Israel may have stalled the process.
The two women enlisted the help of Congressman Don Beyer and Senator Tim Kaine, who were happy to help Elatr and were relieved to hear the news.
Beyer said it was “the clearest case for political asylum imaginable”.
Elatr and her attorney said that obtaining political asylum will serve as a springboard “to take our case further to bring justice for Jamal”.
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