State Department names 16 people in killing of Khashoggi

The State Department on Monday named 16 individuals who it says had roles in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. 

The 16 individuals as well as their immediate family members will not be allowed entry into the United States now that they’ve been designated by the State Department.

The department said in a press release that the individuals are Saud al-Qahtani, Maher Mutreb, Salah Tubaigy, Meshal Albostani, Naif Alarifi, Mohammed Alzahrani, Mansour Abahussain, Khalid Alotaibi, Abdulaziz Alhawsawi, Waleed Alsehri, Thaar Alharbi, Fahad Albalawi, Badr Alotaibi, Mustafa Almadani, Saif Alqahtani and Turki Alsehri.

{mosads}Among those individuals, al-Qahtani is a former aide to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Mutreb used to be part of the crown prince’s entourage during foreign trips, according to the Associated Press.

Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist who was a critic of the Saudi Arabian government, was killed last year by Saudi operatives inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. 

It is widely believed that the crown prince ordered the slaying, though the crown prince has denied those charges.

President Trump has also refused to blame the crown prince and has opted not to punish Saudi Arabia over the killing despite U.S. intelligence agencies reportedly concluding that the crown prince was likely responsible.