The Saudi Crown Prince is now the head of state and is immune from legal proceedings in the US
As we previously mentioned, the announcement of Mohammed bin Salman as the Prime Minister by his father changes the international political and legal dynamics for him. Now, the Biden administration’s resistance has been broken, and after months of hesitation and efforts to not acknowledge the new position of the Saudi Crown Prince, this situation has been officially recognized.
The Biden administration has resisted for several months against court inquiries in the US, which demanded an official opinion from the federal prosecutor’s office regarding the legal immunity or lack thereof for bin Salman. Ultimately, the court received its answer, and the federal prosecutor’s office declared that given bin Salman’s position as Prime Minister, he is the head of state and possesses immunity.
On Friday, in reaction to this news, a wave of protests and criticisms was directed at the Biden administration. Apart from social activists and groups supporting Jamal Khashoggi’s fiancée, who has filed a lawsuit against bin Salman in the US, fellow journalists of Khashoggi have also voiced extensive objections and believe that a serious response from the US should be taken regarding bin Salman’s wrongdoings.