Biden Aware Of US Decision To Recommend Legal Immunity To Saudi Crown Prince - White House

President Joe Biden is aware of the US State Department's recommendation to grant Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman immunity in a lawsuit filed against him, White House National Security Council Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby said on Friday

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th November, 2022) President Joe Biden is aware of the US State Department's recommendation to grant Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman immunity in a lawsuit filed against him, White House National Security Council Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby said on Friday.

"The president is aware of this legal process and this legal determination. I want to stress that this was a State Department decision and a request that they made to the Justice Department," Kirby said during a press briefing.

The State Department determined that bin Salman, who also serves as Saudi Arabia's Prime Minister, should be granted legal immunity in a lawsuit brought against him by the fiancee of murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

The final decision on whether to grant immunity will be made by Judge John Bates, who requested the US government to file a statement of interest about the applicability of head-of-state immunity, among other issues.

The State Department noted that its recommendation did not imply a view on the merits of the lawsuit and reiterated its condemnation of Khashoggi's murder.

Khashoggi was killed and dismembered in October 2018 inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, where he was lured to complete paperwork for his upcoming marriage to a Turkish citizen. US intelligence has claimed that bin Salman authorized the operation to kill Khashoggi.