To enshrine the legacy of Jamal Khashoggi by protecting activists and journalists, codifying the Khashoggi Ban, and introducing the Khashoggi Amendment to the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, and for other purposes.
The Jamal Khashoggi Protection of Activists and Press Freedom Act of 2023 aims to protect journalists and activists from government repression by codifying and strengthening existing policies against those who target them. The bill establishes the "Khashoggi Ban," which makes foreign individuals engaged in counter-dissident activities—such as silencing, surveilling, threatening, or harming journalists and activists—ineligible to enter the United States, with potential visa restrictions extended to their immediate family members. The legislation also creates a new legal avenue for U.S. citizens and their families to sue foreign governments in American courts for injuries or deaths resulting from counter-dissident activities committed against journalists and activists, bypassing the usual immunity that foreign governments enjoy in U.S. courts. The Secretary of State must report annually to Congress for three years on individuals determined to be inadmissible under this ban and any national interest waivers granted, with unclassified versions posted publicly. The bill is named after journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was killed by Saudi intelligence officers in 2018, and reflects congressional concern that press freedom has declined globally over the past 17 years.
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