Germany suspends training for Saudi forces

The German Federal Police yesterday announced that it was suspending a training programme for Saudi National Guard forces in response to the killing of Saudi journalist, Jamal Khashoggi inside Riyadh’s consulate in Istanbul.

“No training has been conducted since the beginning of October,” the German Interior Ministry said in a statement yesterday.

“Resuming the training programme [between the federal police and the Saudi forces] depends on assessing the current circumstances [of Khashoggi’s death] in agreement with the federal government,” it added.

The German Federal Police has been providing training and consultation to the Saudi National Guard in Riyadh since 2009.

Read: Germany questions arms sales to Saudi over Khashoggi killing

The German Foreign Ministry on Monday summoned the Saudi ambassador to discuss the repercussions of Khashoggi’s murder.

Earlier on Sunday, Chancellor, Angela Merkel announced that Germany would suspend all arms exports to Saudi Arabia “under the current circumstances”.

On Saturday, Riyadh admitted that Khashoggi was killed in a “fistfight” inside the consulate adding that it had arrested 18 people, all Saudis, in relation to the case.

So much for Freedom of Expression in Saudi Arabia – Cartoon [Sabaaneh/MiddleEastMonitor]