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ANKARA (Reuters) – The fiancée of slain Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi on Monday called for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to be punished after a US intelligence report found that he had approved the killing.
Khashoggi, an American resident who wrote op-ed columns for the Washington Post criticizing Saudi policies, was killed and dismembered by a team linked to the crown prince at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
A US intelligence report on Friday found that the prince had approved the killing and Washington imposed sanctions on some of those involved, but not on Prince Mohammed himself. The Saudi government, which has denied any involvement of the crown prince, rejected the report’s findings.
“It is essential that the crown prince … be punished without delay,” Hatice Cengiz said on Twitter. “If the crown prince is not punished, it will always be a sign that the main culprit can get away with it, which will put us all in danger and be a stain on our humanity.”
The administration of US President Joe Biden on Friday imposed a visa ban on some Saudis believed to have been involved in Khashoggi’s assassination and imposed sanctions on others that would freeze their US assets and generally prohibit Americans from dealing with them.
When asked about criticism of Washington for not directly sanctioning Prince Mohammed, Biden said an announcement would be made on Monday, but did not provide details, while a White House official suggested that no further steps were expected.
“Starting with the Biden administration, it is vital that all world leaders ask themselves if they are willing to shake the hand of a person whose guilt as a murderer has been proven,” Cengiz said.
(Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Editing by Dominic Evans)
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