US sanctions 17; Saudi seeks death penalty for 5 suspects
The US on Thursday announced sanctions against 17 Saudi nationals, including a close advisor to Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman and several officials of the Saudi government, in connection with the gruesome killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Saud al-Qahtani, a former security guard, is a close advisor to the crown prince and sanctioning him places responsibility for the murder as close as it can get to the crown prince, who has denied any role in it.
The announcement of the sanctions came hours after Saudi Arabia’s top prosecutor said he’s recommended the death penalty for five suspects charged with ordering and carrying out Khashoggi’s killing.
It appears the announcement by the kingdom’s top prosecutor, Saud al-Mojeb, was aimed at distancing the killers from the crown prince.
The announcement was published in a statement carried by the state-run Saudi Press Agency.
Regarding the sanctions slapped on the 17 Saudis, US secretary of state Mike Pompeo said in a statement, “At the time of Khashoggi’s killing, these individuals occupied positions in the Saudi royal court and several ministries and offices of the government.”
“The US continues to diligently work to ascertain all the facts and will hold accountable each of those we find responsible in order to achieve justice for Khashoggi’s fiancée, children and the family he has left behind,” said US treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin. “The Saudi government must take appropriate steps to end any targeting of political dissidents or journalists.”
Al-Qahtani is the senior-most government official among those sanctioned. The others included his subordinate Maher Mutreb and Saudi consul general in Istanbul, Mohammed Alotaib.
Khashoggi was killed inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2 by a 14-member team of hit-men that had arrived from Saudi Arabia in the preceding days.
The dissident journalist was last seen entering the consulate as captured by surveillance footage.
The others sanctioned are Salah Tubaigy, Meshal al-Bostani, Naif al-Arifi, Mohammed al-Zahrani, Mansour Abahussain, Khalid al-Otaibi, Abdulaziz al-Hawsawi, Waleed al-Sehri, Thaar al-Harbi, Fahad al-Balawi, Badr al-Otaibi, Mustafa al-Madani, Saif al-Qahtani and Turki al-Sehri.