Angela Merkel not to sell arms to Saudi until "monstrous" killing cleared up

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday called the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul a "monstrosity" and vowed to halt German arms exports to Saudi Arabia until the case is cleared up.

Merkel decried what she called "the monstrosity there in the Saudi consulate in Turkey" during a campaign rally in the town of Ortenberg, about 50 km northeast of Frankfurt.

"It must be cleared up. As long as it's not cleared up, there will be no arms exports to Saudi Arabia. I assure you of that very decidedly," she said.