Germany announced on 19 November that it would freeze arms shipments to Saudi Arabia, including already approved contracts, amid the ongoing investigation into Jamal Khashoggi's murder, the AP reported. German Economy Ministry spokesman Philipp Jornitz said that Berlin is working with arms producers to halt supplies. Previously, Germany announced that it wouldn't approve any new arms export contracts with Saudi Arabia.
Earlier in the day, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has announced via the ministry's official Twitter account that Germany has imposed Schengen zone entry bans on 18 Saudi nationals allegedly linked to the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a journalist of Saudi descent. The statement said that the measures had been coordinated with France and the UK. Maas added that so far Khashoggi's case has generated more questions than answers.
AM @HeikoMaas: Im Fall #Khashoggi weiterhin mehr Fragen als Antworten. Haben uns eng mit Frankreich & Großbritannien abgestimmt. Deutschland hat Verfahren angestoßen, um 18 saudische Staatsangehörige, die mutmaßlich in Zusammenhang mit Tat stehen, mit Einreisesperren zu belegen. pic.twitter.com/sAzqhNA0L0
— Auswärtiges Amt (@AuswaertigesAmt) November 19, 2018
The Foreign Ministry spokeswoman refused to name those affected by the ban, citing the country's privacy laws, Reuters reported.
Earlier, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, called on Saudi Arabia to ‘shed full clarity' on the murder of The Washington Post columnist, Jamal Khashoggi. She noted that despite Riyadh's reporting the arrests of those responsible for the murder, some circumstances surrounding the case remain unclear.
Saudi authorities have arrested 21 people, 11 of whom have already been charged for the murder of Khashoggi, who was killed in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on 2 October. Five of those charged face the death penalty. Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir noted that Riyadh considers the murder to be a ‘crime and a big mistake,' but cautioned against politicising it. The kingdom also assured that none of the members of the Royal Family, including the Crown Prince was responsible for organizing the killing.
