President Squishy

Crossville TN

Description

The Biden administration declared Thursday night 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. The request is a controversial one after President Biden promised "consequences" on his campaign trail for Saudi officials following the 2018 death of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. Hatice Cengiz, Khashoggi's fiancée, and Democracy for the Arab World Now filed a lawsuit against Saudi officials, including Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, for their roles in the murder of Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. According to the Associated Press, the State Department called the decision to try to protect the Saudi crown prince from U.S. courts in Khashoggi's killing "purely a legal determination," citing "longstanding precedent."??? 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. The Biden administration's request for immunity is non-binding and will ultimately be decided by a judge, but it is expected to anger human rights activists and many U.S. lawmakers, according to the AP. Human rights advocates argued that Prince Mohammed and other authoritarian leaders around the world would be emboldened to commit more rights abuses if the Biden administration supported the crown prince's claim that his high office shielded him from prosecution.