US Senate Bill to punish Saudi over Khashoggi killing, Yemen crisis

The US Senate on Thursday introduced a legislation seeking to punish Saudi Arabia over the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi and escalating the political as well as a humanitarian crisis in Yemen.

Quoting sources, Al Jazeera reported that if the bill eventually becomes a law, it would suspend weapon sales to Saudi Arabia and prohibit US refuelling of Saudi-led airstrikes in Yemen.

The bill would also impose sanctions on anyone blocking humanitarian access in Yemen and supporting the Houthi rebels.

The move came hours after the US Department of State on Thursday imposed what are known as Magnitsky Act penalties on 17 Saudi Arabian individuals for their alleged involvement in Jamal Khashoggi's assassination at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul in October.

According to the US State Department, "the Global Magnitsky Act empowers the United States to take significant steps to protect and promote human rights and combat corruption around the world."

Saudi Arabia initially rejected allegations regarding the country's involvement in Khashoggi's killing. But after Turkish authorities leaked audio tapes of the murder incident and shared it with the Western countries, Saudi Arabia eventually admitted its role with a series of contradictory explanations.

Saudi Arabia's top prosecutor on Thursday also said that they will seek the death penalty for five individuals accused in Khashoggi's murder.

In addition, Saud Al-Qahtani, a key aide of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has been banned from travelling and remained under investigation, Saudi officials confirmed Al Jazeera.