Berlin announces first sanctions on 15-man Saudi hit team plus 3 other individuals involved in killing of Saudi journo
Germany on Monday imposed a travel ban on 18 Saudi citizens over their suspected involvement in the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
“These individuals are the members of a 15-man team and three others suspected of taking part in this plan,” Christofer Burger, deputy spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, told a news conference in Berlin.
He said the decision was taken in close coordination with two other EU partners -- the U.K. and France.
Asked whether Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was among the first group of people receiving sanctions, Burger declined to make any comments on the matter.
The Washington Post reported last week that the CIA had concluded the Khashoggi’s murder was ordered by the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist working for The Washington Post, was killed shortly after he entered the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul Oct. 2.
Saudi Arabia had offered shifting explanations for Khashoggi's disappearance before suggesting he was killed during a botched rendition operation by rogue agents.
So far, 21 people, including security officers, have been arrested in Saudi Arabia in connection with the murder.
