Filing civil or criminal charges against a foreign leader in court is always hazardous, and that appears to be the case with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Following the execution-style murder of Jamal Khashoggi in Saudi Arabia, who was a journalist for the Washington Post at the time, there was a furious uproar in the direction of Saudi Arabia. He was killed at the Saudi consulate located in Istanbul, creating a suspicious backdrop that the killing was somehow politically motivated. Many people believed that the Saudi Crown Prince was responsible for trying to stifle free speech, including in the United States.
Unfortunately, political matters appear to have taken control of the situation. Right now, gas prices are going through the roof, many people are struggling to afford the price of gas, and OPEC appears to be moving closer to Russia and further from the West. The visit to Saudi Arabia by Joe Biden appears to be a failure, as OPEC recently announced they would slash oil production, despite the shortage of oil throughout most parts of the developed world.
Now, the lawsuit filed against the Saudi Crown Prince has been dismissed, coming shortly after the Biden Administration recommended that the Justice Department grant Mohammed bin Salman immunity. The administration is claiming that there is no precedent for filing charges, criminal or civil, against a foreign head of state, and that they are acting consistent with prior administrations; however, there are other people, particularly the director of DAWN, who believe that the people responsible for the murder of Jamal Khashoggi should be held accountable.
Because the Biden administration does not appear to want to pursue the case against the Saudi Crown Prince, the lawsuit was dismissed. There are some people who believe that the Saudi Crown Prince was promoted to his office in an effort to avoid potential liability for the events surrounding Jamal Khashoggi. The United States still has intelligence agents trying to uncover information related to the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, but for now, the dismissal appears to be an effort to strengthen relationships with Saudi Arabia, a country that has an exceptionally poor human rights record. It remains to be seen what impact this dismissal will have.
