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Deputy FM: Saudi Crown Prince Has Immunity in Argentina, Representing G20 Nation

BUENOS AIRES (Sputnik) - Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will have immunity during his visit to Argentina as the representative of a sovereign state that belongs to the G20, Argentine Deputy FM Daniel Raimondi told Sputnik on Thursday, amid reports that a prosecutor in Argentine is taking up a case against the royal.
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'We have already said that the Saudi Prince is here representing a country, a sovereign country that is a member of G20, and in that position he has immunity', Argentine Deputy Foreign Minister Daniel Raimondi said.

When asked whether Argentina’s president would meet with Crown Prince Mohammed during his visit to the country, Raimondi said, 'Not for the time being'.

Responding to a question about the prospect of a meeting at the level of foreign ministers, Raimondi noted that 'nothing is scheduled yet, but it is developing very quickly'.

The statement was made after on Wednesday international advocacy group Human Rights Watch announced that the federal prosecutor in Argentina, Ramiro Gonzalez, had agreed to take up a case against the Saudi crown prince, who is widely suspected of involvement in the October 2 killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Watchdog Asks Argentina to Probe Saudi Prince Over War Crimes, Khashoggi Murder

Khashoggi went missing on October 2 after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, and the Saudi Prosecutor General's Office has since announced that he was killed inside the consulate by lethal injection before his body was dismembered and removed from the building. An internal investigation concluded that a 15 man "hit-team" and 6 others were involved in the killing. On 15 November, the Saudi prosecutor said that the kingdom would pursue the death penalty for 5 of the suspects charged with Khashoggi's murder.

READ MORE: Former CIA Chief Brennan Urges Congress to Reveal CIA Khashoggi Report

Last week, US media reported that the CIA concluded that Crown Prince Mohammad personally ordered the killing. US President Donald Trump responded with uncertainty whether the crown prince was involved.

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