Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammad bin Salman isimmunein a civil lawsuit relating to the 2018 murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the US government says in a court document filed Thursday in court.
Prince bin Salman was appointed prime minister by royal decree in late September, sparking speculation he was seeking to avoid legal risks stemming from claims filed in foreign courts – including a civil suit launched in the United States by Hatice Cengiz , fiancée of the murdered journalist.
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The murder four years ago of Jamal Khashoggi, a close associate of Saudi power who later became a critic, in the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul (Turkey), had temporarily made the prince – nicknamed “MBS– an outcast in the West.
His lawyers had previously argued that Mr. bin Salman “seat at the top of the government of Saudi Arabiaand therefore should enjoy the immunity that US courts accord to heads of state and other high-ranking foreign officials. The US government had until Thursday to give its opinion on the subject, if it chose to give one. Its recommendation is not binding on the court.
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