In his reasoning, Judge John Bates referred to the US government’s arguments and bin Salman’s “immunity as head of state”. At the same time, Bates raised the issue of “judicial discomfort” over the Justice Department recommendation in his argument. That discomfort stems not only from “credible allegations” about the prince’s involvement in Khashoggi’s murder, the judge wrote, but also from the timing of Bin Salman’s appointment as Saudi Arabia’s prime minister.
Journalist and Saudi government critic Khashoggi’s fiancée, Hatice Cengiz, appeared as a plaintiff. After the murder four years ago, she filed a lawsuit in the United States against the Saudi crown prince and others she alleges were involved in the reporter’s murder. Among other things, Khashoggi worked as a columnist for the renowned American newspaper “Washington Post”. Cengiz accused US President Joe Biden of having saved the “murderer” and “criminal” Bin Salman by granting him immunity, thus becoming an accomplice.
US intelligence has accused Mohammed bin Salman of being responsible for Khashoggi’s death by an assassin at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018. The crown prince denies being the mastermind of the action. The assassination temporarily isolated the heir to the throne internationally and plunged relations between the US and many other Western countries and Saudi Arabia into a crisis. However, Mohammed bin Salman was spared the sanctions that the Biden government imposed on Saudi Arabia.