Lawfare

On Nov. 17, the Biden administration filed a suggestion of immunity on behalf of Mohammad bin Salman (#MBS) in a suit filed by the fiancée of Jamal #Khashoggi, who was assassinated in 2018. Khashoggi’s fiancée, Hatice Cengiz, brought a case in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in 2020, seeking relief under the Torture Victim Protection Act of 1991 and Alien Tort Statute in connection with Khashoggi’s killing.

#SaudiArabia

On site with summ: https://www.lawfareblog.com/biden-administration-recognizes-mbss-immunity-khashoggi-case

Biden Administration Recognizes MBS’s Immunity in Khashoggi Case

The U.S. Department of State filing recognized Mohammed bin Salman’s sovereign immunity in the lawsuit brought by the fiancée of Jamal Khashoggi, Hatice Cengiz, stemming from his killing in 2018.

Lawfare
Nov 22, 2022 at 6:02pmWeb
Show threadMorimaNov 22, 2022

@lawfare I think I'm going to be sick.

I know it's Realpolitik, but I hate that our need for fuel is still so large that we have to compromise our principles for it. ESPECIALLY when the crime is so heinous.

Show threadErik Sherman Nov 22, 2022
@lawfare WHAT??
Show threadcharvakaNov 22, 2022
@lawfare Is this a legalistic argument about sovereign immunity, to avoid the US government being held liable in foreign courts? Or is it about not upsetting MBS and driving gas prices up?
Show threadChris BrownNov 22, 2022

The current agreement by OPEC+ is in place until the end of 2023. If it had to do with the Oil production/costs I would suspect we would have seen this closer to that expiration, not over a year prior.

Recognizing immunity while in office is standard in the US judicial system. If MBP leaves office and this case is still going, that would then allow for the debate to bring MBP into the case as a defendant.

It’s F`ed but it’s exactly the same way we’ve handled FPOTUS and other issues.

Show threadJMNov 22, 2022
@charvaka @lawfare the latter, i think.
Show threadJDNov 22, 2022
@lawfare not a good move on the administration’s part.
Show threadAnsel HalliburtonNov 22, 2022
@lawfare The "while in office" qualifier would have meaning with respect to democracies...not so much here.
Show threadAnsel HalliburtonNov 22, 2022
@lawfare Perhaps having to file a suggestion of immunity for an ally's head of state in a murder case is also a suggestion that one should explore other options in one's alliances.
Show threadjzed74Nov 22, 2022
@lawfare Absolutely sickening. Biden has been appalling. First the Covid minimizing gaslighting, and now this. Beginning to think he’s a despicable person. I had so much hope for him.
Show threadMaggie KatNov 22, 2022
@lawfare I understand why we r doing it n an effort to maintain eggs in our basket in the ME in case of conflict w China at some point. But I suspect we will get nothing in the short run from this offering of presents, nor will it stop any country in the ME from jumping sides if they feel it would better achieve their agenda. (or even if it is like the customer who simply tried a new brand knowing they can always go back to the old brand if they choose)