Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrives to attend the APEC Leaders Informal Dialogue with Guests event during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Bangkok. AFP
Washington federal judge John Bates accepted a US government's stance that Prince Mohammed, who was designated prime minister of Saudi Arabia in September, enjoys immunity in US courts as a foreign head of state.
Bates ruled that he had no power to reject the US government's official stance, submitted in a formal statement to the court on November 17, that the prince had immunity as a foreign leader.
The US government's executive branch "remains responsible for foreign affairs, including with Saudi Arabia, and a contrary decision on bin Salman's immunity by this Court would unduly interfere with those responsibilities," Bates said.
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