France Mulls Hitting Saudi Arabia With Sanctions Over Journo's Death

Le Drian insisted that the killing should be thoroughly investigated and that those responsible be brought to justice, noting however that Germany’s decision to stop selling weapons to Riyadh was somewhat premature, as the investigation is not yet complete.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has announced Wednesday that France is willing to impose sanctions against Riyadh if Saudi authorities are found to have been involved in the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

"We’ll take the necessary measures against those who are responsible," Le Driand said as quoted by Reuters, noting that Paris does not rule out any sanctions against Saudi Arabia.

He also urged the Saudi authorities to thoroughly investigate the killing, find the people responsible and punish them accordingly.

"So long as those who are responsible and the circumstances around the killing are not made public, released and evaluated, we will go on demanding the truth. So far we don’t have it," the minister remarked.

At the same time, Le Drian insisted that Berlin’s decision to halt arms sales to Riyadh was premature.

"I think we must wait for the investigation to find the culprits," he insisted.

READ MORE: Trump Administration Weighing Options for Response to Khashoggi Murder

Khashoggi, known for his criticism of Saudi policies, had been working as a columnist for The Washington Post. The journalist was last seen entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2. On October 19, Saudi Arabia admitted the journalist had died during a fight inside the consulate. Riyadh said 18 people had been arrested over their suspected involvement in the incident.