The Saudi Crown Prince is now the head of state and safe from legal pursuit in the US
As we mentioned before, the announcement of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as 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 a long period of hesitation and efforts to not acknowledge the Crown Prince’s new position, it has recognized this status.
For several months, the Biden administration has resisted court inquiries in the US, which demanded an official opinion from the federal prosecution regarding bin Salman’s legal immunity or lack thereof. Ultimately, the court received its response, and the federal prosecution announced that given bin Salman’s position as Prime Minister, he is the head of state and has immunity.
On Friday, in response to this news, a wave of protests and criticisms was directed at the Biden administration. Apart from social activists and groups supporting Khashoggi’s fiancée, who filed a lawsuit against bin Salman in the US, journalists who worked with Khashoggi have also raised widespread objections, believing that the US should take a serious stance against bin Salman’s wrongdoings.