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Murder of KhashoggiA complaint against “MBS” dismissed by an American judge
A US judge has confirmed the judicial immunity of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, accused of being the sponsor of the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
At the end of September, “MBS”, who has de facto ruled the kingdom for years, was appointed prime minister by royal decree.
AFP
A US judge on Tuesday dismissed a lawsuit filed in the United States against Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, accused of ordering the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Jamal Khashoggi, a former aide to Saudi power turned critic, was killed and dismembered in 2018 in the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. The murder sparked international outcry and made Prince Mohammed bin Salman a pariah in the West. The Saudi authorities have always denied his responsibility, but he is considered to have ordered the assassination by American intelligence.
«Malaise»
The journalist’s Turkish fiancée, Hatice Cengiz, and the Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN) association he had founded in the United States, had filed a civil complaint in 2020 before the American courts against the crown prince and other Saudi officials.
It is this appeal that Judge Bates dismissed while expressing his “discomfort with the circumstances of the appointment of Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the credible allegations of his involvement in the death of Khashoggi”.
At the end of September, “MBS”, who has de facto ruled the kingdom for years, was appointed prime minister by royal decree. Many commentators saw it as an attempt to shield him from prosecution abroad. Taking note of this appointment, the government of Democratic President Joe Biden had estimated in mid-November that he enjoyed judicial immunity.
“Check” noticed
This statement had drawn strong criticism. The newspaper “Washington Post”, for which Jamal Khashoggi had collaborated, had accused the president of having “turned his back on the fundamental principles of freedom of the press and equality”.
The White House had retorted that this legal opinion “had nothing to do with the bilateral relationship” between the two countries. President Biden visited Saudi Arabia in July. On this occasion, he made a very noticeable “check” with the crown prince, but then assured that he had discussed the Khashoggi affair with him.
(AFP)