France Starts Investigation into Jamal Khashoggi's Death

May 16, 2026, 18:01
EuropeInternational

Introduction

A judge in France is now looking at the death of Jamal Khashoggi. The judge wants to know if Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman helped kill him.

Main Body

Three groups asked France to start this case in 2022. At first, some lawyers said no. But a court in Paris said the case can move forward. The court wants to see if this was a crime against people. Jamal Khashoggi was a journalist. In 2018, he went to the Saudi office in Istanbul. Men killed him there. The Saudi government said they punished the killers, but other groups do not believe them. US spies say the Crown Prince ordered the killing. The Crown Prince says he did not order it. But he says it happened because he is the leader. This is not a trial yet. The judge is only looking for facts. The judge wants to see if there is enough evidence for a real trial.

Conclusion

France is now checking the evidence. They want to see if the Crown Prince should go to court.

Learning

πŸ•΅οΈ Action Words: The 'Past' Story

When we tell a story about something that already happened, we change the action words. Look at these changes from the text:

  • Go β†’\rightarrow Went (He went to the office)
  • Say β†’\rightarrow Said (Lawyers said no)
  • Do β†’\rightarrow Did (He did not order it)

πŸ’‘ Simple Secret: The 'S' Rule

In the text, we see a pattern when one person does something now:

The judge β†’\rightarrow wants The judge β†’\rightarrow looks

Rule: If it is one person (He, She, or a Name), add an -s to the action word.

  • I want β†’\rightarrow The judge wants
  • They look β†’\rightarrow The judge looks

Vocabulary Learning

judge (n.)
a person who decides in a court of law
Example:The judge listened to both sides.
court (n.)
a place where legal cases are decided
Example:The case was heard in a court.
case (n.)
an instance of a problem or situation to be considered
Example:The judge looked at the case carefully.
lawyer (n.)
a person who practices law and represents clients
Example:The lawyer argued for a fair trial.
crime (n.)
an illegal act that can be punished by law
Example:The court wants to see if this was a crime.
journalist (n.)
a person who writes news for newspapers or other media
Example:Jamal Khashoggi was a journalist.
killed (v.)
to cause death to someone or something
Example:The men killed him there.
government (n.)
the group that runs a country or state
Example:The Saudi government said they punished the killers.
evidence (n.)
information that shows whether something is true
Example:France is now checking the evidence.
trial (n.)
a formal court hearing where guilt or innocence is decided
Example:The judge wants to see if there is enough evidence for a real trial.
facts (n.)
true pieces of information about a situation
Example:The judge is only looking for facts.
ordered (v.)
to give a command or instruction
Example:US spies say the Crown Prince ordered the killing.
leader (n.)
a person who guides or directs a group
Example:He is the leader of the country.
check (v.)
to examine or inspect something
Example:They will check the documents carefully.