Who is John Bates? US judge dismisses lawsuit accusing Saudi Crown Prince MBS of Jamal Khashoggi's murder, cites head-of-state immunity

After President Joe Biden determined that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman possessed "sovereign immunity," a US judge dismissed a lawsuit against him for ordering the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi on Tuesday, December 6. The claims were "believable," according to Judge John Bates of the district court in Washington, DC, and he felt "uncomfortable" dismissing the case. According to Daily Mail, the ruling effectively put an end to any efforts to hold Prince Mohammed bin Salman responsible in an American court. When the State Department announced the crown prince was protected from prosecution, President Biden was accused of disrespecting the memory of Khashoggi. Following his admittance inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018, Khashoggi vanished without a trace. It's believed that Saudi authorities killed him, dismembered his body, and then disposed of his remains in trash bags. Judge Bates argued in his written opinion that the State Department's decision had rendered him impotent, despite the fact that MBS had only been elected prime minister six days prior to the Biden administration's determination that he had immunity. He wrote, "Despite the court's uneasiness, then, with both the circumstances of bin Salman’s appointment and the credible allegations of his involvement in Khashoggi’s murder, the United States has informed the court that he is immune, and bin Salman is therefore entitled to head of state immunity . . . while he remains in office." He added, "Accordingly, the claims against bin Salman will be dismissed based on head-of-state immunity." His fiancée Hatice Cengiz and the Middle Eastern human rights advocacy group DAWN filed the case in an effort to exact revenge for Khashoggi's murder. On October 2, 2018, US citizen Khashoggi went inside the consulate to get the documents he needed to get married. He didn't ever leave the space. According to an audio recording purportedly taken from Khashoggi's Apple Watch, Khashoggi allegedly screamed in pain as he was transferred from the office of the Saudi consul general to a table in the adjacent study, injected with an "unknown drug," and surgically dissected. Upon entering the consulate, Khashoggi was greeted by 15 Saudi agents who had flown to Turkey. They included security professionals, members of the intelligence community, and employees from the crown prince's office. Turkish authorities assert that Khashoggi was killed, then dismembered using a bone cutter. US intelligence officials claim that MBS committed the murder. When Biden visited Saudi Arabia in July to discuss oil and security issues, Reuters reported that he was criticized for giving the crown prince a fist bump. Biden allegedly warned Prince Mohammed Bin Salman that he was responsible for Khashoggi's murder, according to the White House. Khashoggi had previously criticized the policies of the crown prince in articles for the Washington Post.

Who is John Bates?

Judge Bates started working as a federal district judge in December 2001. He received a degree from Wesleyan University in 1968, and the University of Maryland School of Law awarded him a JD in 1976. From 1968 to 1971, he served in the American Army, including a tour of duty in Vietnam. In 2006, Chief Justice Roberts chose him to serve on the American Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. From 2009 to 2013, when he completed his tenure there, he presided over the court. After that, with the Judicial Conference's blessing, Chief Justice Roberts named him to the position of Director of the Administrative Office of the US Courts, where he served until January 1, 2015.