A lawsuit brought by the fiancée of murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi against Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was dismissed by a U.S. federal judge in Washington. The judge referenced President Biden’s grant of immunity as the reason for the dismissal. Despite expressing discomfort with the circumstances surrounding bin Salman’s appointment and the allegations of his involvement in Khashoggi’s murder, the judge stated that the U.S. government had confirmed his immunity.
The ruling mentioned the recent appointment of Prince Mohammed as prime minister by Saudi King Salman in a royal decree. Khashoggi was killed and dismembered by Saudi agents in the consulate in Istanbul in October 2018, with U.S. intelligence pointing to Prince Mohammed as the orchestrator. While the prince denied ordering the killing, he admitted it happened under his supervision.
The U.S. Department of Justice attorneys stated that Prince Mohammed, as the current head of a foreign government, held immunity as a head of state from U.S. court jurisdiction. Khashoggi’s fiancée, Hatice Cengiz, expressed her disappointment with the decision, stating that Jamal had essentially died again.
President Biden faced criticism for a recent meeting with Prince Mohammed in Saudi Arabia, where they discussed energy and security matters. The White House clarified that Biden had held the prince accountable for Khashoggi’s death despite the cordial interaction. Khashoggi had been a vocal critic of the prince’s policies and was visiting the consulate in Istanbul to finalize his marriage paperwork with Cengiz, a Turkish national.
