Germany decided to stop all arms shipments to Saudi Arabia on Monday and barred 18 Saudis who are thought to have been involved in the murder of writer Jamal Khashoggi from much of Europe. The restrictions apply to every member of the passport-free Schengen area of the European Union, indicating that Germany is prepared to use its clout as the biggest member to press for stricter enforcement. When he informed EU nations in Brussels on Monday, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas stated that the decision had been thoroughly coordinated with both Britain and France, which are not members of the Schengen area. He added that EU states had shown “great support” for the move.
Travel ban and arms freeze after Khashoggi’s killing
Jean-Yves Le Drian, the foreign minister, responded to a question on potential French action by saying, “We are working very closely with Germany at this moment… and we will decide ourselves a certain number of sanctions very quickly over what we know (about the murder).” “There are currently no (arms) exports from Germany to Saudi Arabia,” a spokesperson said, citing Germany’s pressure on its armaments producers to halt authorized shipments.
Germany has already stopped granting Saudi Arabia permission to sell weapons in the future as of last month. Any of the 26 nations that make up the Schengen region have the authority to unilaterally prohibit anybody they believe poses a security concern, albeit it is unprecedented for one nation to issue so many bans at once in such a delicate political situation. The 15 members of the team accused of killing Khashoggi at the Istanbul consulate in Riyadh as well as three other individuals suspected of planning the murder have been barred, according to Foreign Ministry spokesperson Christofer Burger, who did not identify the individuals.
Berlin’s travel restrictions and arms suspension
Burger refused to respond when asked if Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was one among them. Last week, Saudi prosecutors stated that the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, the crown prince, was unaware of the operation that resulted in the dismemberment of Khashoggi’s body, which was then taken out of the premises and given to an anonymous “local cooperator”. A spokesman for the Interior Ministry indicated that the prohibition would stand even if any of the individuals impacted had diplomatic passports.
According to experts in the defense industry, the primary effects of Germany’s export embargo would be felt in the sale of patrol boats manufactured by privately held Luerrsen, which would put 300 jobs at a shipyard in the northeastern state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in jeopardy, and four Cobra counter-battery radar systems that are scheduled to be built by a consortium comprising Airbus, Lockheed Martin of the United States, and Thales of France.
Arms freeze following Khashoggi’s death
The impact of the moratorium on international projects like the Eurofighter, which is being constructed by a group of companies in Britain, Germany, Italy, and Spain, was yet unknown. In answer to a parliamentary question, the government did clarify that prior agreements meant that no partner nation of Eurofighter could prevent the sale of planes or parts to other nations. Refusing to comment, BAE Systems spearheaded the Eurofighter campaign that resulted in Saudi Arabia awarding the company a 10-billion-pound ($12.86 billion) deal for 48 new Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft.
Freezing arms sales post-Khashoggi
Following the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Saudi Arabia in March, the business is currently finalizing the transaction. They would import around one-third of their components from Germany. The de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, the crown prince, was allegedly unaware of the operation last week, according to Saudi prosecutors, in which Khashoggi’s body was dismembered, taken out of the premises, and given to an anonymous “local cooperator.” A spokesman for the interior ministry stated that the ban would be in effect regardless of whether any of the individuals under investigation had diplomatic passports, which typically grant protection to important diplomats and members of the Saudi royal family.
Berlin’s measures after Khashoggi’s killing
Widespread persecution under de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, or MBS, seriously undermines announced legislative changes. Saudi officials promised to reduce the number of executions by the end of the year, but on March 12 they hanged 81 men the greatest mass execution in decades. At least 80 people were slain in a string of assaults in Yemen in January by a coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.