German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier said on Monday that Germany wants other European Union member states to follow its example in stopping arms exports to Saudi Arabia as long as uncertainty remains over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Sunday that Germany would stop arms exports to Saudi Arabia as long as the uncertainty around Jamal Khashoggi’s death persisted.
Mr. Altmaier, a close ally of Merkel, said Riyadh’s explanations on the case so far had not been satisfactory.
Riyadh has given multiple and conflicting accounts on what led to Mr. Khashoggi’s death on Oct. 2 at its consulate in Istanbul.
On Sunday, Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir called the killing a “huge and grave mistake” but sought to shield Saudi Arabia’s powerful crown prince.
Senior German politicians have also urged Siemens CEO Joe Kaeser over the weekend to pull out of an investment conference in Saudi Arabia later this week.
