Group Of US House Democrats Push Sanctions Bill To Punish Journalist Abuses - Statement

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 21st October, 2020) A group of Democratic members of the US House of Representatives have sponsored legislation for the United States to punish human rights abuses against journalists by imposing sanctions and withholding economic aid, Congress, according to a press release on Tuesday.

"Today, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) introduced the 'Jamal Khashoggi Press Freedom Accountability Act' to ensure that the United States holds accountable those who commit extrajudicial killings and other gross violations of human rights against journalists," the release said.

Khashoggi was a Saudi political activist and columnist for the Washington Post who was murdered while visiting the Saudi consulate in Istanbul and his body then dismembered inside the diplomatic facility.

"This legislation would prohibit US foreign assistance to government entities and levy targeted sanctions against individuals that perpetrate gross human rights violations against journalists," the release said.

If passed and signed into law, the legislation would also require the State Department to document incidents of online harassment and electronic surveillance of journalists in its annual Human Rights Reports, the release added.