Washington establishes immunity for Mohamed bin Salman in Khashoggi trial
The Biden administration has ruled that Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman (MbS) enjoys immunity in the lawsuit of the ex-girlfriend of Jamal Khashoggi, the Saudi dissident who was ukilled and dismembered in the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul in October 2018.
The CIA believes that MbS, de facto leader of the petro-monarchy for years, was the instigator of the murder. The prince, recently appointed prime minister, had initially denied any involvement before admitting that the murder had taken place “under his responsibility”.
“Jamal died again today,” Cengiz wrote on Twitter, “we thought maybe there would be a light of justice from the US but, again, money came first. This is a world Jamal and I don’t know “.
US Justice Department attorneys explained that the administration has “established that defendant bin Salman, as acting head of a foreign government, enjoys as head of state immunity under the jurisdiction of US courts.” as a result of this role”.
The crown prince was appointed prime minister by his father, King Salman, last September, an appointment described by kingdom officials as in line with the responsibilities already exercised by MbS.
“The royal decree leaves no doubt that the Crown Prince is entitled to immunity based on his status,” bin Salman’s lawyers said in a petition dated October 3 in which they asked the Washington district court to dismiss the case.
In a document filed in the US District Court for the District of Columbia, Justice Department attorneys wrote that “the doctrine of the immunity of heads of state is well established in customary international law.”
“This is a legal consideration made by the State Department based on long-standing and well-established principles of customary international law“, a White House National Security Council spokesman said in a statement.
Khashoggi had expressed strong criticism of bin Salman in some editorials published in the Washington Post. The dissident had gone to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, where a trap had been set for him, to obtain the documents he needed to marry Cengiz, a Turkish citizen.
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