Iran Press/ America: The decision was stated in the statement released on Friday, February 26, by the US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, published on the website of the State Department.
"To begin with, the US State Department took action … to impose visa restrictions against 76 Saudi nationals who are believed to have threatened dissidents abroad, were involved in the murder of Khashoggi, but not only in it," the document says.
Blinken stressed that the US administration is "announcing additional measures to reinforce international condemnation of the crime and to rebuff those governments operating outside their borders" to threaten and attack journalists and alleged dissidents.
From now on, the United States, the Secretary of State explained, will pursue a new policy of restricting the issuance of US entry visas to those foreigners who, according to Washington’s data, are "directly involved in serious extraterritorial activities" aimed at suppressing dissent, harassing journalists and their families and friends.
Blinken clarified that US visa sanctions may in such cases apply to the family members of persons included in the blacklists. Blinken said this visa ban would be named after Khashoggi.
The head of American diplomacy also ordered the inclusion of information about the alleged persecution of dissidents by the authorities of certain states in third countries in the annual report of the US State Department on the observance of human rights in the world.
According to him, the United States will not tolerate possible further threats to human rights defenders, journalists, and activists from Riyadh.
Earlier, the US National Intelligence, in a report released on February 26, said that the operation to kidnap and kill journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul had been approved by the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman Al Saud.
On October 20, 2018, Saudi Arabia confirmed the death of a journalist who disappeared on October 2 after entering the Kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul. The journalist was known for criticizing Riyadh.
It turned out that the journalist was interrogated and tortured, after which he was beheaded in the presence of the consul general of the kingdom.
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