[YouTube]
Yesterday when I watched the video above and read about how the Police officer was made to apologize to the Saudi Prince I got really really upset. In case you don’t know the story, a Saudi Prince parked in a no parking zone in Beirut, a cop came to give him a ticket and the Saudi Prince insulted the cop and the Lebanese. A crowd nearby overheard the conversation and attacked the Prince sending him to the hospital. The cop was then told to go to the hospital and apologize to the Prince.
As I said, I got really upset at how the cop was made to apologize to the Prince but then it hit me… diplomatic immunity.
Diplomatic immunity is a form of legal immunity and a policy held between governments that ensures that diplomats are given safe passage and are considered not susceptible to lawsuit or prosecution under the host country’s laws (although they can be expelled). [Source]
How many times have you watched a movie where people with diplomatic immunity in the States commit a crime and the cops can’t do anything about it and most of the time have to apologize to the diplomats. It’s unfair yes, but at least it’s not a Lebanese only issue or a corruption thing. I’m not defending the Prince here but I wanted to highlight that the procedure that was taken in having the cop apologize to the diplomat is one that is required by the host country.
Mark,
I actually heard about the KSA warning its princes not to go to DownTown Beirut But I had no clue why.
Does diplomatic immunity allow him at all time to park his car whenever he wants wherever he wants? Does it allow him to disrespect a Lebanese policeman for no reason?
I think even diplomatic immunity has a certain boundaries, ones that the Lebanese government could set to avoid such issues.
FYI, according to what I heard from some people, the prince’s bodyguards assaulted the policeman first before a group of people came to help out the guy and beat up the bodyguards and prince.
Yes, as a diplomat you can park your car wherever you want. You can get a ticket but you don’t have to pay for it. http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/09/22/140700944/diplomats-owe-nyc-17-2m-for-parking-tickets-dc-is-owed-340-000
What if it turns out they beat up the policeman? They can get away with that too?
If that’s so, how can I get diplomatic immunity?
Yes, you can beat up someone and get away with it, that’s diplomatic immunity.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diplomatic_immunity#Diplomatic_incidents
A lot worst has been done before elsewhere.
Excuse my French but that’s a just a FFF Saudi attitude. Being a Prince like another 250,000 plus princes from Saudi does not give him the right to park his car illegally or assault a policeman verbally let alone hitting him especially after insulting the country you are visiting and it’s people! Let him act like that in his own country and not here. And dont tell me you are allowed to do that with international diplomatic immunity, my father is a diplomat and we know whats legal and what’s not let alone Respect! Finally would he have done this if he was in Paris, London or any other country.
From what I gather, the prince got has ass kicked by some bystanders. So what if they made the cop apologize. THE PRINCE GOT HIS ASS KICKED AND WAS HOSPITALIZED !!!
Also, why is the news lady holding a cell phone up to her ear???
The cop was made to apologize because I’m guessing he took a stand. Situations like this with diplomats, you give them a ticket and move on. What might have happened is the cop butted heads with the diplomat, diplomat said what he said, people attacked etc.. etc..
Again I am not defending the prince I am just trying to explain why things happened the way they did (with the apology and arrest).