Five people have been sentenced to death in the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, but the two most senior officials implicated in the murder were cleared of wrongdoing because of "insufficient evidence," Saudi Arabia's public prosecutor announced Monday.

The convicted defendants have not been named. Three others were sentenced to jail terms totaling 24 years.

Khashoggi, who wrote opinion columns for the Washington Post, was killed after he entered the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul in October 2018. He was one of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s most prominent critics.

RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia on Monday sentenced five people to death and three more to jail terms totaling 24 years over the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul last year.

Saudi Deputy Public Prosecutor and spokesman Shalaan al-Shalaan, reading out the trial verdict, said the court dismissed charges against the remaining three of the 11 people that had been on trial, finding them not guilty. None of the defendants’ names was immediately released.

(CNN)Saudi Arabia has sentenced five people to death for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi but cleared a former top adviser to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, a public prosecutor said Monday.