MSNBC blasts Biden decision to shield Saudi Crown Prince in Khashoggi killing
A panel on "Morning Joe" called President Biden's messaging and actions on Saudi Arabia "incoherent" and his decision to give immunity to the Saudi Crown Prince "disturbing."
A lawsuit against Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman regarding the assassination of U.S. journalist Jamal Khashoggi was dismissed by a federal judge on Tuesday.
The decision to throw out the lawsuit falls in line with the position of President Biden's administration, who have insisted that bin Salman is legally immune from the charges.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia takes his seat ahead of a working lunch at the G20 Summit, Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022, in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia. (Leon Neal/Pool Photo via AP)
Hatice Cengiz, Khashoggi's fiancée, and Democracy for the Arab World Now filed the failed lawsuit against Saudi officials, including the crown prince, over the killing of Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
Khashoggi, an internationally known and respected journalist, was killed by Saudi officials Oct. 2, 2018 after publicly criticizing the crown prince's harsh methods of silencing his rivals or critics.
JAMAL KHASHOGGI, MISSING ACTIVIST AND WRITER, KILLED IN FIGHT, STATE MEDIA REPORTS
People hold posters of slain Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, near the Saudi Arabia consulate in Istanbul, marking the two-year anniversary of his death, Oct. 2, 2020. A Turkish court ruled Thursday, April 7, 2022, to suspend the trial in absentia of 26 Saudis accused in the gruesome killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi and for the case to be transferred to Saudi Arabia. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel, File)
According to the AP, the U.S. intelligence community concluded the crown prince gave the approval of Khashoggi's killing, despite the country's claim that he was not directly involved.
The Biden administration declared in November that the official standing of Saudi Arabia's crown prince should grant him immunity in lawsuits for his alleged role in the brutal killing of a U.S.-based journalist.
SAUDI PRINCE MOHAMMED BIN SALMAN MOCKED BIDEN IN PRIVATE, QUESTIONED MENTAL STATE: REPORT
Saudi journalist, Global Opinions columnist for the Washington Post, and former editor-in-chief of Al-Arab News Channel Jamal Khashoggi offers remarks during POMED’s "Mohammed bin Salman’s Saudi Arabia: A Deeper Look," on March 21, 2018. (Getty Images / POMED)
District of Columbia U.S. District Judge John D. Bates dismissed the suit on the grounds of sovereign immunity, an international legal concept that protects national leaders from litigation and criminal prosecution.
Bates maintained that despite the legal outcome, there remains "credible allegations of his involvement in Khashoggi’s murder."
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President Biden being welcomed by Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at Alsalam Royal Palace in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on July 15. The prince reportedly mocked Biden in private and said he is unimpressed with him. (Royal Court of Saudi Arabia / Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Rooted in international law, sovereign immunity protects states and their officials from some legal proceedings in other foreign states’ domestic courts. The State Department said upholding the concept helps ensure American leaders don’t have to worry about being hauled into foreign courts to face lawsuits in other countries.
Fox News' Elizabeth Pritchett contributed to this report.
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