U.S. Sen. Todd
Young, R-Ind., has issued a statement on the Trump Administration’s
non-compliance with the Global Magnitsky Act relating to the murder of
Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, as well as with a federal law
requiring the Secretary of State to certify efforts by Saudi Arabia and the
United Arab Emirates (UAE) to mitigate the humanitarian disaster in Yemen:
“While I appreciate
that 17 Saudi officials have been sanctioned, I strongly urge the
Administration to fully meet the requirements and deadlines set forth in
both the Global Magnitsky Act in relation to the murder of Khashoggi and the
National Defense Authorization Act’s unambiguous requirement to certify
Saudi and UAE efforts to bring the civil war in Yemen to an end and
alleviate the humanitarian crisis,” Young said in a statement released on
Thursday.
Earlier on
Thursday, Young joined members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to
request a classified briefing from the Administration on the status of
Magnitsky determinations with respect to any foreign person responsible for
the Khashoggi murder, including findings related to the involvement of the
highest officials in Saudi Arabia.
Young previously
joined in a letter to President Trump regarding Khashoggi’s murder. “The
Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act requires the President,
upon receipt of a request from the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate
Committee on Foreign Relations, to determine whether a foreign person is
responsible for an extrajudicial killing, torture, or other gross violation
of internationally recognized human rights against an individual exercising
freedom of expression, and report to the Committee within 120 days with a
determination and a decision on the imposition of sanctions on that foreign
person or persons,” that letter stated.