Khashoggi killing: Canada imposes sanctions on 17 Saudi nationals

Canada on Thursday imposed sanctions on the 17 Saudi Arabian nationals who were allegedly involved in the murder of former Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.

The sanctions would freeze their assets and bar their travels to Canada.

Al Jazeera quoted the Foreign Affairs Minister of Canada Chrystia Freeland saying in a statement, "The sanctions target individuals who are, in the opinion of the government of Canada, responsible for or complicit in the extrajudicial killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi on October 2, 2018."

In addition to this, French President Emmanuel Macron said that he would be raising the issue with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on the sidelines of theG20 Summit to be held in Argentina on November 30 and December 1.

"I will no doubt have the opportunity to mention it with the crown prince on the margins of the summit," Al Jazeera quoted Macron informing the journalists in Buenos Aires on Thursday.

In a Tweet later, Macron added, "I have always been clear with Saudi Arabia. It will be one of the subjects we will talk about among Europeans. I wanted us to have a coordination meeting before the opening of the G20 on this subject and all the challenges at the summit."

Meanwhile, on Wednesday [November 28], Al Jazeera quoted saying United States Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo that there was no report on the direct involvement of Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the killing of former Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi on October 2 inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

The statement came after Pompeo and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told the Senate that weakening of ties between the United States and Saudi Arabia over the killing would adversely affect the national security of America.