Germany bans 18 Saudis from entering Schengen zone over Khashoggi killing

Germany has imposed travel bans on 18 Saudi nationals suspected of having links to the murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the kingdom’s diplomatic mission in Turkey’s Istanbul early last month.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas made the announcement on Monday, saying the 18 Saudi citizens had been banned from entering the country’s territory as well as Europe's Schengen passport-free zone over Khashoggi’s killing.

"As before, there are more questions than answers in this case, with the crime itself and who is behind it," Maas said on the sidelines of a European Union meeting in Brussels, adding that he had discussed the decision with his British and French counterparts prior to the announcement.

Berlin has "decided that Germany should impose an entry ban on 18 Saudi citizens, who are presumed to be in connection with this deed, in the Schengen information system," Maas told reporters.

Mass’ office later announced that it could not release the names of those sanctioned Saudi nationals due to Germany's privacy laws, but said the members of the 15-strong squad accused of carrying out the killing and a further three suspected of organizing the brutal act had been given entry bans.

The Schengen Area comprises 22 EU countries and four non-EU countries. Britain is not part of the passport-free Schengen zone but shares intelligence through Shengen Information System (SIS) for law enforcement purposes.

Germany has already imposed a ban on selling weapons to Riyadh until the circumstances of Khashoggi's killing are fully cleared up.

SS