Letter to the President - Donnelly Asks White House to Make Sanctions Determination on Khashoggi Disappearance

Letter

Dear Mr. President:

I am writing to you to express my concern about the fate of Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist, Washington Post contributor, and a 1983 graduate of Indiana State University.

Reports about the circumstances surrounding his disappearance, and the potential complicity of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in efforts to silence him, are deeply troubling. No person, particularly a journalist, should ever be fearful of calling for accountability from those in power.

I strongly urge you to make a determination with regard to the imposition of sanctions pursuant to the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act in the case of Mr. Khashoggi. This law is explicitly designed to punish persons "responsible for extrajudicial killings, torture, or other gross violations of internationally recognized human rights committed against individuals in any foreign country seeking to expose illegal activity carried out by government officials, or to obtain, exercise, or promote human rights and freedoms."

Given the information currently available, the case of Mr. Khashoggi is clearly suggestive of just such a situation. I look forward to your rapid consideration of this request

Sincerely,

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