16 Saudis barred from U.S. for role in Khashoggi's murder
The State Department on Monday publicly barred 16 individuals from entering the U.S. for their roles in the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
"In cases where the Secretary of State has credible information that officials of foreign governments have been involved in significant corruption or gross violations of human rights," the statement read, "those individuals and their immediate family members are ineligible for entry into the United States."
Khashoggi, a permanent U.S. resident and vocal critic of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was murdered and dismembered Oct. 2 in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
The designations from the State Department follow the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's detention of at least 10 individuals associated with women's rights advocates in the kingdom's biggest crackdown since Khashoggi's death, according to Human Rights Groups. The State Department confirmed that two U.S. citizens were among those arrested.
Among those banned Monday from entering the U.S. is Saud al-Qahtani, an adviser to bin Salman who the CIA suspects organized the assassination of Khashoggi.
In November, Al-Qahtani and 16 others were designated by the State Department under the Global Magnitsky Act along. All but one were again named in Monday's designation. The U.S. had previously also revoked the visas for 21 unnamed Saudi individuals associated with the murder last October.
The Trump administration has faced criticism for its defense of the U.S.-Saudi relationship despite conclusions by both U.S. intelligence and the U.S. Senate that the Crown Prince known as MBS is ultimately responsible for Khashoggi's death.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/16-saudis-barred-from-us-for-role-in-khashoggis-murder/ar-BBVKnsu
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