New Delhi: When Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman appeared together recently and dismissed questions about the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, many saw it as just another diplomatic moment. For Hanan Elatr, Khashoggi’s widow, it was a fresh reminder of how the world’s most powerful leaders continue to treat one of the most shocking journalist killings of the century as a minor inconvenience.Khashoggi was a US resident who wrote critically about the Saudi kingdom in The Washington Post.To understand Hanan’s anger, one must return to October 2, 2018, when Khashoggi walked into the Saudi consulate in Istanbul from where he never came out. Since then, the Saudi crown prince had never visited the White House, and this was his first visit since the 2018 murder.Inside the building, according to Turkish investigators and the CIA, a Saudi hit squad waited for him. He was killed and dismembered within minutes. His body has never been found. The Saudi government denied involvement for weeks, then admitted he was killed but called it a “rogue operation”. The official trial took place behind closed doors, with no public evidence, no independent oversight and no accountability for senior officials.It is this reality that Elatr continues to fight to keep alive, even as major powers try to move on.Trump–MBS remarks reopen old woundsSpeaking to The Wire, Elatr said Trump’s recent claim that the crown prince “knew nothing” about the operation contradicts what the crown prince himself told 60 Minutes in 2019, when he took “responsibility” for the killing as the leader of the state.“What Trump said does not match the truth,” she said. “It does not match what the crown prince himself said. It does not match American values of democracy and freedom.”She described the joint appearance as “upsetting” and said it reminded her of “countries where dictators deny responsibility and dismiss facts”.For her, the remarks are not mere political theatrics but an attempt to rewrite history. “There has never been transparency. My lawyer is in jail for representing me. There is no apology, no compensation, no clarity. They want investment but not accountability,” she said.It is this frustration, she added, that has pushed her to seek a direct conversation with Trump. Hanan said she wishes to meet the US president face to face to “introduce the real Jamal” and correct what she believes are deliberate misrepresentations.“Jamal was kind, professional and brave. If world leaders hear lies about him, I want the chance to tell them the truth,” she said.Why this killing cannot be buriedSaudi Arabia has signalled massive investment plans in the United States. According to The New York Times, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told reporters that his country intends to invest 1 trillion dollars in America, although he did not provide details of where or how the money would be deployed.Hanan said leaders across the world appear willing to overlook the killing for the sake of economic cooperation.“Countries can build strong economic relations, but that should not mean ignoring a murder,” she said. “This is not a small case. This was a state operation.”She believes the US must raise the matter with Saudi Arabia, insisting that human rights and press freedom cannot be optional. “If powerful countries look the other way, it sends the message that any government can kill a journalist and still enjoy diplomatic respect,” she said.She also highlighted that during discussions around the Abraham Accords, Saudi authorities reportedly asked the US to avoid raising the Khashoggi issue again. “This file is not closed,” she said. “There was no transparent trial. They imprisoned my lawyer. They did not apologise. They did not compensate me. Even the UAE spied on me and detained me.”The CIA has concluded that the Saudi crown prince approved the operation that killed Jamaal, yet US courts have dismissed Hanan’s petitions. On this she said, “They use intelligence when it helps them and reject it when it does not,” she said.With her petitions dismissed in US courts, Hanan is now pursuing legal action internationally. She has lawyers in the UK and France and is exploring cases in Canada, Norway and Turkey. But she said many lawyers in Turkey are afraid to reopen the case.“I will continue,” she said. “It is my duty.”