Khashoggi’s fiancée, Hades Genghis, sued the crown prince. She demanded compensation. “Jamal died again today,” he wrote on Twitter because of the US court ruling.
Since Salman was recently appointed as the Prime Minister, he deserves immunity. The U.S. State Department says this is entirely “legal merit.” But according to Amnesty International, it’s more than that. “It all comes with impunity,” said Secretary-General Agnes Callamard.
Khashoggi is believed to have criticized the Saudi government on several occasions and was killed on October 2, 2018 while visiting the embassy in Istanbul. The journalist’s body has not been found.
In July, President Joe Biden spoke with Salman about the matter. Biden held him responsible for the journalist’s murder, saying the immunity verdict did not establish innocence. But Prince continues to deny his role in the murder.
The assassination caused a global uproar and damaged the image of the crown prince and his country. This led to a major setback in the relationship between the US and Saudi Arabia. But in the summer of 2019, President Biden said he wanted to improve relations. Khashoggi’s visit to the country was heavily criticized after his assassination.