Rep. Omar Introduces The MBS MBS Act to Sanction Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman

Press Release

Today, Rep. Ilhan Omar introduced the Mohammed bin Salman Must be Sanctioned Act (MBS MBS Act) to sanction the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia for his role in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi and grave human rights abuses.

"This is a test of our humanity," Rep. Omar said. "If the United States of America truly supports freedom of expression, democracy and human rights, there is no reason not to sanction Mohammed bin Salman--a man our own intelligence found to have approved the murder of U.S. resident and Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Every minute the Crown Prince escapes punishment is a moment where U.S. interests, human rights, and the lives of Saudi dissenters are at risk.

"This bill is not without precedent. From Iran to Russia, the United States regularly sanctions foreign leaders who commit destabilizing or violent acts. We must treat the Saudi Arabian Crown Prince no differently. Instead, we must listen to the words of Jamal Khashoggi's fiancé, Hatice Cengiz, who said, "If the Crown Prince is not punished, it will forever signal that the main culprit can get away with murder…. Starting with the Biden Administration, it is vital for all world leaders to ask themselves if they are prepared to shake hands with a person whose culpability as a murder has been proven.' No one should get away with murder. And as a global superpower, we must lead with our values."

The bill includes asset freezes to block and prohibit all transactions of Mohammed bin Salman related to the United States, ensures that the Crown Prince is inadmissible to the United States, ineligible to receive a visa or other immigration benefit, and revokes any current visas.

You can view the full legislation here.

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