The U.S. State Department is reportedly considering immunity for Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in a lawsuit accusing him of attempting to have a former Saudi intelligence official assassinated.
Saad Aljabri, a longtime aide to former Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, went public with his claims in August. His federal lawsuit alleges the crown prince dispatched a hit squad to Canada, where Aljabri lives in exile, and that border officials prevented them from entering the country.
Aljabri alleges the men were sent to kill him within days of the killing of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The Saudi government filed an Interpol notice asking other countries’ law enforcement to arrest and extradite Aljabri, accusing him of corruption and using his office to enrich himself.
In November, State Department officials requested information from Aljabri’s lawyers on their views on Riyadh’s immunity request for Crown Prince Mohammed, according to documents reviewed by The New York Times. It remains unclear whether the department will ultimately recommend immunity, or whether a decision will be made before President-elect Joe Biden takes office in January.
President Trump is known to have a positive relationship with the crown prince and has publicly expressed skepticism that he ordered Khashoggi’s killing, despite the conclusion of several international intelligence agencies. Trump also vetoed a resolution that passed Congress with bipartisan support calling for the U.S. to end its backing of Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen.
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Trump admin considering immunity for Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman: report https://t.co/XcJ0mWVAEq pic.twitter.com/L5sBJrxtU0
— The Hill (@thehill) December 23, 2020
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