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https___www.bbc.com_nepali_news-46081426_1.xml
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Saudi Arabia’s decision to make crown prince Mohammed bin Salman its prime minister effectively grants him immunity from prosecution over any alleged involvement in the journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s killing, his lawyers have argued in court. The lawyers, in a petition filed to dismiss a case related to the killing in a federal district court in Washington DC on Monday, said his appointment as the country’s prime minister meant there is “no doubt” that he ranks as Saudi Arabia’s head of state and should therefore not be prosecuted. “The royal order leaves no doubt that the crown prince is entitled to status-based immunity,” lawyers for the prince said in the petition, referring to King Salman’s decree last week, and citing other cases where the US has recognised immunity for a foreign head of state. Prince Mohammed faces a lawsuit in the US over the brutal killing of the Saudi journalist in 2018. Khashoggi was murdered and his body dismembered by Saudi agents inside the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul. A US intelligence report released more than two years after the killing assessed that the Saudi crown prince “approved an operation in Istanbul, Turkey, to capture or kill Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi”, though it provided no direct evidence of Prince Mohammed’s involvement. The prince denied ordering Khashoggi’s killing, but acknowledged later it took place “under my watch”. Last week, his 86-year-old father King Salman named him prime minister in a royal decree. While King Salman will continue to chair any cabinet meetings he attends, observers say the measure formalises his son’s status as the kingdom’s de facto ruler. Critics of the Saudi government have claimed the move is directly related to efforts to provide the 37-year-old prince with immunity over the Khashoggi case. Despite the conclusions of US intelligence and the subsequent sanctioning by Washington of 76 Saudi citizens, no further action has been taken against Prince Mohammed himself. President Joe Biden infamously fist-bumped the crown prince on a visit to Saudi Arabia in July to discuss energy and security issues. He later said he had told Prince Mohammed that he considered him responsible for Khashoggi’s killing. He said the prince denied involvement and asserted those involved had been held to account. Khashoggi, who had criticised the crown prince’s policies in columns for The Washington Post, had travelled to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to obtain papers he needed to marry Hatice Cengiz, a Turkish citizen. The lawsuit was filed jointly by Ms Cengiz and a human rights group founded by Khashoggi. The suit seeks unspecified damages against the crown prince, also known in the west as MBS. It also named more than 20 other Saudis as co-defendants. It charged that the crown prince, his co-defendants and others carried out a plot to “permanently silence Mr Khashoggi” after discovering he planned to use the group as “a platform to espouse democratic reform and promote human rights”. The court had asked the US Justice Department to express a view on whether Prince Mohammed had immunity, setting a 3 October deadline for a response. However, the department sought a 45-day extension to give a response after the appointment of the crown prince as prime minister, something granted by the court. The case has put the Biden administration under legal and diplomatic pressure, as it tries to balance its efforts to advocate for justice for the slain journalist while also maintaining relations with Saudi Arabia, an important Middle East ally. Additional reporting by agencies
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‘खशोग्जीको हत्या गर्ने आदेश उच्च तहबाटै’ टर्कीका राष्ट्रपति रेजेप तय्यीप एर्दोआनले पत्रकार जमाल खशोग्जीको हत्याका लागि पहिलो पटक प्रत्यक्ष रूपमा साउदी सरकारमाथि आरोप लगाएका छन्। अमेरिकी पत्रिका द वाशिङटन पोस्टमा एउटा लेख लेख्दै उनले भनेका छन्, "हामीलाई थाहा छ खशोग्जीको हत्या गर्ने आदेश साउदी सरकारको उच्च तहबाटै आएको हो।" तर साउदी अरेबियासँगको टर्कीको 'मित्रवत्' सम्बन्धमा जोड दिँदै एर्दोआनले खशोग्जीको हत्यामा राजा सलमानको संलग्नता रहेको कुरामा भने आफ्नो विश्वास नरहेको बताएका छन्। टर्कीका अनुसन्धानकर्ताहरूको विश्वास छ, निर्वासित पत्रकार खशोग्जी इस्तानबुलस्थित साउदी वाणिज्य दूतावास गएका बेला घाँटी अठ्याएर उनको हत्या गरिएको हुनुपर्छ। ढाकछोप टर्कीकी महिलासँग बिहेका लागि आवश्यक कागजातहरू लिन खशोग्जी वाणिज्य दूतावास गएका थिए। गत अक्टोबर २ मा वाणिज्य दूतावास गएका खशोग्जी बेपत्ता भएका थिए। उनको शव अहिलेसम्म भेटिएको छैन र टर्कीका राष्ट्रपतिका एक सहयोगीका अनुसार शव टुक्रा-टुक्रा पारी त्यसलाई एसिडमा गलाइएको हुन सक्छ। शुरूमा साउदी अरेबियाले ढाकछोप गर्न खोजेको खशोग्जी हत्या प्रकरणले रियाद र उसका साझेदार मुलुकबीच एउटा कूटनीतिक सङ्कट निम्त्यायो। त्यसपछि उसले सन्दिग्ध १८ जनालाई पक्राउ गरेको छ र साउदी अरेबियामै उनीहरूमाथि मुद्दा चलाइने बताएको छ। तर आफ्नो भूमिमा हत्या भएकोले मुद्दा चलाउनका निम्ति टर्कीले उनीहरूको सुपुर्दगीको माग गरिरहेको छ। के भने एर्दोआनले? खशोग्जीले स्तम्भ लेख्ने गरेको वाशिङटन पोस्टमै लेख लेख्दै एर्दोआनले भनेका छन्, "हामीलाई थाहा छ साउदी अरेबियामा पक्राउ परेका १८ सन्दिग्धमध्ये नै दोषी छन्।" "हामीलाई यो पनि थाहा छ कि उनीहरू 'खशोग्जीलाई मारेर फर्क' भन्ने आदेश पालना गर्न टर्की आएका थिए। अन्ततः हामीलाई थाहा भयो कि खशोग्जीको हत्याको आदेश साउदी सरकारको उच्च तहबाटै आएको हो।" हत्यामा 'सुरक्षा अधिकारीहरूको एउटा समूहभन्दा थुप्रैको संलग्नता रहेको' भन्दै एर्दोआनले 'खशोग्जी हत्या प्रकरणका नाइके'लाई पर्दाफाश गरिनुपर्ने बताएका छन्। उनले अगाडि लेखेका छन्, "नेटोको एउटा साझेदार मुलुकको भूमिमा फेरि पनि यस्तो कृत्य गर्न कसैले दुस्साहस गर्नुहुँदैन। यदि यो चेतावनीलाई कसैले बेवास्ता गर्छ भने कठोर परिणाम भोग्नुपर्ने हुन्छ।" को थिए जमाल खशोग्जी? उनी एक चर्चित पत्रकार थिए, जसले अफगानिस्तानमा सोभियत संघको अतिक्रमणदेखि ओसामा बिन लादेनको उदयसम्मका विषयमा कैयौँ साउदी समाचार संस्थाका लागि समाचार लेखे। दशकौँसम्म उनी साउदी राजपरिवारको निकट रहे र सरकारको सल्लाहकारका रूपमा पनि उनले काम गरे। तर पछि उनले राजपरिवारको विश्वास गुमाए र गत वर्ष उनी अमेरिकामा निर्वासनमा गए। त्यहाँबाट उनले अमेरिकी पत्रिका द वाशिङ्टन पोस्टका लागि मासिक स्तम्भ लेख्न थाले, जसमा उनले साउदी युवराज मोहम्मद बिन सलमानका नीतिहरूको आलोचना गरे। आफ्नो पहिलो स्तम्भमा खशोग्जीले विरोधी स्वरमाथि दमन गर्न लागेका युवराज मोहम्मदले गिरफ्तार गराउन सक्ने आशङ्का व्यक्त गरेका थिए। बेपत्ता हुनु तीन दिनघि बीबीसीको न्यूजआवर कार्यक्रममा उनले भनेका थिए, "विरोधी हुँदैमा मानिसहरू गिरफ्तार भइरहेका छैनन्, स्वतन्त्र विचार राख्नेहरू पनि गिरफ्तार गरिँदैछन्।"