A U.S. Federal court has dismissed a lawsuit against Saudi Arabia’s crown prince over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, citing his immunity as a head of a state or government, the New York Times reports.
Biden’s state department had previously backed immunity for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in a November letter to the Justice Department saying he should be “immune while in office.” (RELATED: GOP Rep Says He’ll Introduce Rule Banning Members of Congress From Using TikTok On Official Phones)
The court decision came in response to a lawsuit filed by Khashoggi’s fiancée Hatice Cengiz after a US report concluded that Saudi agents killed the columnist by Saudi agents in Saudi Arabia’s consulate in Istanbul in 2018.
Democrat Representative Ilhan Omar called out the Biden Administration for its attitude towards Saudi Arabia, demanding Biden to sanction Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman after a report revealed Salman’s role in the murder. Omar introduced legislation to sanction Salman in March 2021.
In October, the White House coordinator for strategic communications at the National Security Council John Kirby promised to “re-evaluate” the US relationship with Saudi Arabia after the kingdom slashed oil outputs. Just two weeks after Kirby’s comments, Biden said he would “take his time” re-evaluating this relationship.
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