Oscar-winning actor and filmmaker Sean Penn has reportedly begun filming a new documentary about the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was killed inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul earlier this year.
Penn, accompanied by a crew of around 10 including bodyguards, was spotted shooting in front of the consulate building in the Turkish city on Wednesday, Turkey’s state-run Anadolu news agency reported.
The two-time Oscar winner was also seen outside the consul general’s nearby residence, the agency said.
Khashoggi, a columnist for the Washington Post and a US resident since 2017, was killed during his visit to the consulate to obtain marriage-related paperwork on October 2.
Despite searches of the consulate and other places, the whereabouts of his remains are still unknown.
#SeanPenn in Istanbul to film #Khashoggi documentary https://t.co/jubxejdvav pic.twitter.com/9SM219faKG
— ANADOLU AGENCY (ENG) (@anadoluagency) December 5, 2018
In one image shared by Anadolu, Penn was seen outside the mission where the Saudi writer was strangled before he was cut up into pieces by a 15-man Saudi team especially sent to Istanbul for the task.
The actor was also expected to meet Khashoggi’s Turkish fiancee, Hatice Cengiz, during his visit, according to Turkish newspaper Daily Sabah.
The murder of Khashoggi, a vocal critic of the Saudi government and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, prompted an international outcry and forced many countries to reassess their ties with the kingdom.
After weeks of repeated denials that it had any involvement with his disappearance and contradictory statements, Riyadh eventually acknowledged last month that Saudi officials had planned and executed the killing, blaming a “rogue” team.
The CIA has reportedly assessed that Prince Mohammed, also known as MBS, ordered the killing of Khashoggi.
So far, 21 people, including security officers, have been arrested in Saudi Arabia in connection with the killing.
Penn has previously attracted controversy as a result of his forays into politics and current affairs, especially after he and Mexican-American actress Kate del Castillo interviewed Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman while he was on the run.
Penn, 58, won Oscars for best actor for his roles in Mystic River and in Milk.
