- Khashoggi’s fiancee had sued the Saudi prince in a US court docket.
- However US Justice Division attorneys concluded that prince had immunity.
- The prince has denied ordering the killing, which has forged a pall over members of the family between the 2 nations.
DOHA: The US dating with Saudi Arabia remains to be underneath assessment regardless of a Biden management ruling that the Saudi crown prince has immunity from a lawsuit over the homicide of Jamal Khashoggi, Secretary of State Antony Blinken mentioned on Tuesday.
Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist then residing in america, used to be killed and dismembered in 2018 by way of Saudi brokers within the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul, in an operation US intelligence believes used to be ordered by way of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The prince has denied ordering the killing, which has forged a pall over members of the family between the 2 nations.
Khashoggi’s fiancee has sued the prince in US court docket, however in a ruling ultimate week, US Justice Division attorneys concluded that the prince had immunity because of having been named high minister within the Saudi govt in September.
“The opinion that we equipped does now not in any respect discuss to the deserves of the case or the standing of the bilateral dating,” Blinken mentioned.
“Our assessment of that dating is ongoing,” he instructed newshounds at a information convention in Qatar after an annual US-Qatar strategic discussion. Blinken additionally mentioned there have been no plans for the prince to seek advice from america.
The Biden management’s ruling ultimate week got here at a time of higher traces between Washington and Riyadh over power provides, after the OPEC+ oil staff determined at its ultimate assembly to chop output objectives over US objections.
Blinken mentioned the prison opinion that the prince used to be entitled to immunity used to be in response to “long-standing follow” seen in “loads of circumstances”.
“In each and every case, we merely apply the legislation. And that is the reason what we did,” he added.
The verdict has drawn complaint from the slain journalist’s fiancee Hatice Cengiz, who had filed the lawsuit collectively with a human rights staff based by way of Khashoggi.