- The Saudi prince, who was recently appointed the country's prime minister, enjoys diplomatic immunity.
- Despite recognizing his immunity and therefore dismissing the civil complaint, he admitted that the accusations are "credible."
 |
| A fist bump between US President Joe Biden and Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman. |
A US judge dismisses the complaint against Bin Salman for the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi
A US federal judge on Tuesday dismissed a civil complaint against Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman, whom the CIA holds responsible for the murder of Saudi journalist and US resident Jamal Khashoggi.
Judge John D. Bates of the District of Columbia argued that the Saudi prince, who was recently appointed prime minister of the country, has diplomatic immunity, as confirmed by the government led by Democrat Joe Biden. Despite recognizing his immunity and therefore dismissing the civil suit, the judge admitted that the accusations against Bin Salman are "credible".
On November 18, the US government determined that the Saudi crown prince is immune from a civil lawsuit filed by the deceased's fiancée. Joe Biden's executive determined that, under international law, the prince is immune from the civil lawsuit filed in the United States by Khashoggi's fiancée and the human rights organization she founded.
The administration justified the immunity in that it is the "acting head of government" of Saudi Arabia and did so through a letter signed by the State Department's acting legal adviser, Richard C. Visek, sent to the court.
International law prohibits the courts of one country from taking action against the head of state of another "while in office", and bin Salman's father, King Salman, appointed him prime minister in September. In addition, the text recalls that the Constitution grants the executive power the exclusive power to make decisions related to foreign policy.
The legal counsel's text indicates, however, that the department "has no opinion on the merits of this lawsuit and reiterates its unequivocal condemnation of the heinous murder of Jamal Khashoggi" in October 2018.
According to the CIA, it is proven that Bin Salman "approved an operation in Istanbul to capture or kill" the Saudi journalist because he was perceived as a dissident whose activities undermined the monarchy.
Khashoggi wrote columns for The Washington Post and other outlets criticizing the crown prince, who, as de facto ruler even before his father made him prime minister, cracked down on rivals and dissidents.
Tags:
World