Trump admin considers immunity request for Saudi Prince in assassination attempt: Report

The United States government is pondering upon a request by the Saudis to grant Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman immunity from prosecution over accusations that he had masterminded the assassination plot of a former intelligence officer-turned critic. According to Bloomberg, the request is being reviewed by the US State Department officials and the findings will then be forwarded to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who would make recommendations to the Justice Department. 

Read: Trump Pardons Former Aides Convicted During Mueller Investigation, Son-in-law's Father

Seeking immunity before Trump leaves

As per the report, the Saudis are seeking immunity for the Crown Prince before January 20, when incumbent President Donald Trump leaves the White House and Joe Biden takes over. Biden has promised to act tough against the Saudis, who have been accused of acting like a rogue state lately. The case in which the Saudis are seeking immunity has been brought by former high-level intelligence official Saad Aljabri, who has accused the Crown Prince of sending assassins to Canada, where he currently lives in exile. 

Read: Trump Vetoes Defense Bill; Speaker Pelosi Calls It “an Act Of Staggering Recklessness'

The alleged hitmen were stopped by the Canada Border Police earlier and were denied entry into the country. Aljabri has claimed that the men MBS had been tracking his movement from the United States before trying to enter into Canada. Since then, Aljabri has been placed under the security of Canadian police and private bodyguards. If the Saudis succeed in securing immunity for the Crown Prince in the particular case, it would also free Mohammed bin Salman from liabilities in other cases, including the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. 

Read: UN Rights Office Criticizes Trump Pardons Of Blackwater Ex-contractors

Mohammed bin Salman is accused of sending hitmen to Istanbul in 2018 and orchestrating the murder of Saudi critic Jamal Khashoggi, who had been living in exile in the United States since 2017. Khashoggi entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2, 2018, to obtain documents related to his marriage, while his fiance was waiting in the car outside. Khashoggi never came out of the consulate as he was murdered and dismembered inside the embassy itself, which shocked the entire world after it came into the light. 

Read: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani Equates Trump With Former Iraqi Dictator Saddam Hussein