NEW YORK: The widow of Jamal Khashoggi, the journalist who was murdered at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, has been granted political asylum in the United States, the BBC reported.
Khashoggi was killed in 2018 and US intelligence believes Saudi Arabia was behind it. Following his killing, Hanan Elatr, the widow of Khashoggi, feared for her safety and came to the US in August 2020 to apply for asylum.
She was granted indefinite asylum status on 28 November, according to the BBC citing reviewed documents.
“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, 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”.
The group is seeking compensation from Saudi Arabia for Khashoggi’s death and is working to obtain the journalist’s electronic devices from the Turkish government.
They are also pursuing legal action against Israeli spyware firm NSO Group, which has been accused of selling and using its Pegasus software by authoritarian governments worldwide.
“We’re determined to get justice for Jamal and peace and justice for Hanan,” Fahmy said.
