No Arms to Riyadh until Khashoggi Murder Explained , Merkel Says

“It is necessary to clarify the background of this horrible incident. And if that does not happen, we will not deliver any arms to Saudia Arabia,” she was quoted as saying.

The German leader made the comments during a news conference in Prague with Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis.

Merkel condemned the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the strongest terms possible during a phone call with Saudi Arabia’s King Salman, and vowed to take appropriate measures in response, the chancellery said on Thursday.

Khashoggi, a vocal critic of the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was killed at the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul on October 2 by a hit squad believed to be sent by the crown prince.

Merkel “made clear that the exact course of events must be cleared up,” according to her office’s statement. “The chancellor urged Saudi Arabia to ensure a rapid, transparent and credible investigation. She stressed that all those responsible must be held accountable,” the statement read.

The Western powers have been sending arms to the oil-wealthy monarchy despite the proofs that they are used in the war against Yemen which so far killed thousands, and injured and displaced more. Most of the victims are children and women.

On September 20, Berlin approved sales of targeting systems to Saudi Arabia, despite a ban imposed on arms contracts with the kingdom triggered by a commitment to avoid arms deals with counties that use the German weapons in wars.

German media call Riyadh the “second-best customer” of Germany’s arms industry.