France imposes travel ban on 18 Saudis over Khashoggi murder

France on Thursday imposed sanctions, including travel ban on 18 Saudi citizens, suspected to have been involved in the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, foreign ministry's spokesperson Agnes von der Muhll said.

In coordination with European partners, notably Germany, France issued the travel ban that covered the 26-nation Schengen zone, von den Dhull said without naming the concerned individuals.

"These are interim measures that may be reviewed or extended depending on the progress of ongoing investigations," she said.

Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist, has been missing since he entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2. The Saudi authorities had said Khashoggi died in a "brawl" in its consulate.

After releasing the results of its initial investigation, the Saudi Public Prosecution announced that 18 people were arrested for their alleged connections with the killing.

The U.S. Treasury Department had imposed sanctions on 17 individuals over their alleged roles in the killing of Khashoggi, following U.S. State Department's decision in late October to revoke 21 Saudi suspects' visas.