US Treasury sanctions 17 individuals over alleged roles in killing of Khashoggi

WASHINGTON, Nov. 15 -- The US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control on Thursday imposed sanction on 17 individuals over their alleged roles in the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

In a statement, the Treasury said that it has designated Saud al-Qahtani, a senior official of the Government of Saudi Arabia, his subordinate Maher Mutreb, Saudi Consul General Mohammed Alotaibi, and 14 other members of an operations team for "being responsible for, or complicit in, or having directly or indirectly engaged in serious human rights abuse."

The sanctioned ones were punished based on the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act that targets "perpetrators of serious human rights abuse and corruption," the Treasury said.

"The Saudi officials we are sanctioning were involved in the abhorrent killing of Jamal Khashoggi. These individuals who targeted and brutally killed a journalist who resided and worked in the United States must face consequences for their actions," said Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin in the statement.

"The United States continues to diligently work to ascertain all of the facts and will hold accountable each of those we find responsible in order to achieve justice for Khashoggi's fiancee, children, and the family he leaves behind," he said. "The Government of Saudi Arabia must take appropriate steps to end any targeting of political dissidents or journalists."

As a result of these designations, any property or interests in property of the individuals designated within or transiting US jurisdiction would be blocked.

Additionally, US persons were generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with blocked persons, including entities 50 percent or more owned by designated persons, the Treasury said.

Later, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement that the State Department will continue to seek all relevant facts, consult Congress, and work with other nations to hold accountable those involved in the killing of Khashoggi.

Earlier on Nov. 13, the US State Department hinted that the US side would take more actions against the kingdom over the case.

State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said that the US actions "will not end with the visa revocations and the blocking of certain Saudi officials from coming into the United States."

The US Congress has urged a thorough investigation in the murder of Khashoggi, and threatened to take more actions against Saudi Arabia if those responsible were not held accountable, such as suspending the US military sales to Saudi Arabia and sanctioning the kingdom.

In the first concrete step of punishment taken by the US government after the disclosure of Khashoggi's death in the Saudi consulate in Turkey's Istanbul, the State Department in October said that 21 Saudis suspected of involvement in the case were being revoked of their visas.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also said on Oct. 23 that the State Department was working with the Treasury Department to review the applicability of Global Magnitsky sanctions.

However, Pompeo repeated that the United States still considers Saudi Arabia as a "strong" ally.

Khashoggi, a columnist for The Washington Post, has been missing since he entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2. The Saudi authorities said that Khashoggi died in a "brawl" in its consulate.

After releasing the results of its initial investigations, the Saudi Public Prosecution announced that 18 people were arrested over their alleged connections with the killing.