U.S. District Court Judge John Bates, who has long presided over national security cases, acknowledged that he was forced to close the case against Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman over his involvement in the 2018 murder of opposition journalist Jamal Hashagji, The Guardian writes.

The decision to dismiss the civil lawsuit, which was filed by Hashagji's fiancée Khatija Cengiz and the Dawn NGO founded by the slain journalist, apparently marks the end of efforts to hold the crown prince accountable for the 2018 killing, the publication notes.

In addition, bin Salman is now free to travel to the United States. Although the case against him was not brought by the U.S. attorney's office, which has the power to arrest him, the crown prince may have had some legal problems.

The court made this decision after the U.S. State Department expressed that the crown prince had immunity from charges in the Khashaggi murder case.

The journalist disappeared on Oct. 2, 2018, after a visit to the Saudi consulate general in Istanbul. Turkish media, citing law enforcement and investigative sources, reported that authorities had confirmation that Khashoggi was brutally tortured in the consulate building and then killed.