France has imposed a travel ban on 18 Saudi Arabian nationals who were involved in the murder of dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
According to Al Jazeera, the foreign ministry stated that more sanctions could be imposed following the investigation report.
French Foreign Ministry on Thursday released a statement which did not name the banned individuals; however, the decision was made in coordination with the other European partners.
“The murder of Mr. Khashoggi is a crime of extreme gravity, which moreover goes against freedom of the press and the most fundamental right,” the statement asserted.
The statement further reiterated that the sanctions are “interim measures that may be reviewed or extended depending on the progress of ongoing investigations.”
Germany and the United States of America (USA) also imposed travel bans on individuals involved in the killing of the journalist.
Khashoggi’s’ killing attracted global criticism and condemnation from Saudi’s close allies including the United States.
Amnesty’s Secretary General Kumi Naidoo wrote to United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on November 21 (IST), urging him to set up a UN-led investigation into slain journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s killing.
A CIA investigation had earlier inferred that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had ordered the scribe’s killing, according to The Washington Post.
Jamal Khashoggi had gone missing on October 2 after stepping into the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, following which he was confirmed to be have been killed on the consulate’s premises by Saudi Arabia.
