The German government is condemning the killing of writer Jamal Khashoggi and calling on Saudi Arabia to hold those responsible to account.
In a joint statement Saturday, Chancellor Angela Merkel and Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said they were “greatly saddened” by the confirmation that the Washington Post columnist was killed at Saudi Arabia’s consulate in Istanbul.
Both said they “condemned the crime in the sharpest possible manner,” adding that they expected “transparency from Saudi Arabia about the circumstances of (Khashoggi’s) death and the background.”
Merkel and Maas said that “those responsible must be held to account.” They said “the information provided about the sequence of events in the consulate in Istanbul isn’t sufficient.”
They also expressed their condolences to Khashoggi’s family and friends, “whose fears have now been sadly proven true.”
Germany has joined other nations in calling for a credible investigation into Khashoggi’s death.
Berlin has long-standing economic ties with Riyadh that include significant arms shipments. According to official figures, the German government has authorized arms exports worth 254 million ($291 million) euros to Saudi Arabia since March.
