Saudis launch 'Boycott Amazon' to take on Post over coverage of Khashoggi murder

RIYADH: Saudis have launched an online campaign to "Boycott Amazon and Souq.com" to take on the Washington Post over coverage of the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who wrote for the paper.

A call to boycott Amazon, whose CEO Jeff Bezos owns the newspaper, was trending on social media in Saudi Arabia on Monday.

The move appears to be part of an effort to punish those highlighting the role of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the last month assassination of the dissident journalist in Turkey.

Saudi billionaire appears on Fox News to defend Mohammed bin Salman in the amid outrage over assassination of Jamal Khashoggi.

The monarchy is using socials media to portray such coverage as a media campaign against the country's de facto ruler.

"Let's defend our nation...boycott Amazon to send a message to its owner so he is aware of the scale of the damage," Saudi journalist Bandar Otyf tweeted, saying the Post "consistently publishes articles that are defaming."

Saudi Arabia has acknowledged the murder, yet left many questions unanswered.

Turkish intelligence intercepts reportedly show that Khashoggi, who was last seen entering the Saudi mission in Istanbul on October 2, was murdered on a direct order from bin Salman.

Khashoggi had been there to obtain a document certifying he divorced his ex-wife.

Saudi Arabia reportedly sent a two-man clean-up team to Turkey days after Khashoggi killing in a bid to erase the evidence of the crime.

US lawmakers and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan maintain that the crown prince and other top Saudi leaders should be held accountable for Khashoggi's assassination. 

In an op-ed by Erdogan published on the Washington Post Friday, the Turkish leader called for an "answer" to the questions left unanswered.

"Where is Khashoggi's body? Who is the "local collaborator" to whom Saudi officials claimed to have handed over Khashoggi's remains? Who gave the order to kill this kind soul? Unfortunately, the Saudi authorities have refused to answer those questions," wrote the Turkish president.