Biden Grants Immunity To MBS Over Khashoggi’s Murder

The Biden administration ruled on Thursday that Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has immunity from a lawsuit over the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, drawing immediate condemnation from the slain journalist’s former fiancee.

Khashoggi was killed and dismembered in October 2018 by Saudi agents in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, an operation which U.S. intelligence believed was ordered by Prince Mohammed, who has been the kingdom’s de facto ruler for several years.

“Jamal died again today,” Khashoggi’s ex-fiancée, Hatice Cengiz, said on Twitter minutes after the news became public. She added later: “We thought maybe there would be a light to justice from #USA But again, money came first.”

The Saudi government communications office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday.

A spokesperson for the Saudi consulate in Washington could not be reached for comment on Thursday evening, after business hours.

“This is a legal determination made by the State Department under longstanding and well-established principles of customary international law,” a spokesperson for the White House National Security Council said in a written statement. “It has nothing to do with the merits of the case.”

The spokesperson referred further questions to the State and Justice Departments.