Washington
A lawsuit against Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman over murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, was dismissed by a US judge on Tuesday (December 6). The civil suit was filed by Khashoggi's widow Hatice Cengiz and Khashoggi's activist group DAWN.
Washington federal judge John Bates accepted a US government's stance that Prince Mohammed, who was designated prime minister of Saudi Arabia in September, enjoys immunity in US courts as a foreign head of state.
Bates said that the civil suit filed by Khashoggi's widow made a "strong" and "meritorious" argument that the prince was behind the murder.
But he ruled that he had no power to reject the US government's official stance, submitted in a formal statement to the court on November 17, that the prince had immunity as a foreign leader.
The prince was named prime minister just weeks ago. Bates said tha notwithstanding this, the US government's executive branch "remains responsible for foreign affairs, including with Saudi Arabia, and a contrary decision on bin Salmanâs immunity by this Court would unduly interfere with those responsibilities."
Prince Mohammed has been the kingdom's de facto ruler for several years under his father King Salman.
One of the prince's most vocal critics, Khashoggi was a journalist and activist based in the United States when he traveled to Turkey with his fiancee to obtain documents for their marriage from the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
After he entered the consulate Khashoggi was seized and murdered by a team of agents of the Saudi regime, his body dismembered and disposed of.
(With inputs from agencies)
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