Germany, France ban 18 in Khashoggi case from entry

Nov. 19 (UPI) -- Germany and France have put 18 Saudis connected with the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi on its "entry ban" list, following U.S. sanctions last week.

The Saudi government last week identified 21 suspects in the death of the columnist, indicting 11 seeking the death penalty with five. The United States swiftly followed, sanctioning 17 and banning them from any connection with the country.

The German publication Der Spiegel reported that Germany and France said Monday the same 17 would be placed on its entry ban list, plus Saudi Arabia's intelligence head Ahmed Asiri.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said the country made its decision after consulting with France and Britain, according to the Financial Times.

"We are coordinating closely on this issue within the EU," Maas said, adding that the countries believed that the Saudi government needed to do more to clear up what really happened inside its Istanbul consulate.

The reaction marks a continued fallout from the Khashoggi's death. The columnist, who was a constant critic of the Saudi Arabia government in his columns with the Washington Post, went missing after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, on Oct. 2.

Khashoggi went to the consulate to pick up documentation for his wedding. His fiancee said he never emerged from the consulate, and Saudi officials first claimed that Khashoggi left the facility.

After audio evidence suggested Khashoggi was killed and dismembered in the consulate, the Saudi government admitted weeks later he was dead.

While the Saudis said in its investigation that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, next in line for the kingdom's throne, was not connected with the case, CIA sources said the prince actually ordered the hit on Khashoggi.