President Joe Biden’s administration backs immunity for Saudia Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) in a lawsuit regarding his alleged role in the 2018 murder of U.S.-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Khashoggi’s fiancée Hatice Cengiz and Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN), a rights group founded by the journalist, filed the lawsuit against MBS.
American officials even “concluded Saudi Arabia’s crown prince had approved the killing of the widely known and respected journalist, who had written critically of Prince Mohammed’s harsh ways of silencing of those he considered rivals or critics.” The murder happened in Istanbul, Turkey. No one has found the body.
But since MBS is Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler and new prime minister, the administration thinks he should have sovereign immunity.
From The Guardian:
In a filing released on late on Thursday night, the Biden administration said the crown prince’s recent promotion to the role of prime minister meant that he was “the sitting head of government and, accordingly, immune” from the lawsuit.“The United States government has expressed grave concerns regarding Jamal Khashoggi’s horrific killing and has raised these concerns publicly and with the most senior levels of the Saudi government,” the Department of Justice said in its filing, adding that the US had also imposed financial sanctions and visa restrictions related to the murder.“However, the doctrine of head of state immunity is well established in customary international law and has been consistently recognized in longstanding executive branch practice as a status-based determination that does not reflect a judgment on the underlying conduct at issue in the litigation,” it said.The government’s filing included an attached letter from Richard Visek, acting legal adviser to the US state department, instructing the Department of Justice to submit a “suggestion of immunity” to the court.
The State Department “reiterates its unequivocal condemnation of the heinous murder of Jamal Khashoggi.” It also defended other moves it made:
The Biden administration statement Thursday noted visa restrictions and other penalties that it had meted out to lower-ranking Saudi officials in the death.“From the earliest days of this Administration, the United States Government has expressed its grave concerns regarding Saudi agents’ responsibility for Jamal Khashoggi’s murder,” the State Department said. Its statement did not mention the crown prince’s own alleged role.
The left and media tried to blame Khashoggi’s murder on former President Donald Trump due to his fake news rhetoric.
When the news came out that the Saudi Arabia government was responsible for the murder, the left and media slammed Trump for not doing anything about it or punishing Saudi Arabia.
Biden, as a presidential candidate, pounced on the murder. He spoke tough on the campaign trail, promising to make Saudi Arabia a “pariah.”
Biden said at the time: “I think it was a flat-out murder. And I think we should have nailed it as that. I publicly said at the time we should treat it that way and there should be consequences relating to how we deal with those — that power.”
Sarah Leah Watson, head of DAWN, stated: “It’s beyond ironic that President Biden has singlehandedly assured MBS can escape accountability when it was President Biden who promised the American people he would do everything to hold him accountable.”
But Biden proved he is like any other politician proving the campaign trail is a bunch of lies and fantasy.
Biden hasn’t done anything against Saudi Arabia. In fact, he enraged human rights groups and the left when he decided against “imposing punishment” on MBS because “there was no precedent for the U.S.to move against the leader of a strategic partner.” Then he fist-bumped MBS at a meeting, smiling and enjoying himself in the crown prince’s company.
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