JEDDAH, 23 September 2005 — The Saudi High Commission for Relief was granted immunity yesterday from litigation in three lawsuits stemming from the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States.

US District Judge Richard Casey found that Interior Minister Prince Naif and Riyadh Governor Prince Salman, president of the High Commission, were not personally liable since they were acting as agents of the Saudi government.

The lawsuits had made baseless charges that the High Commission, which had played a big role in the reconstruction of Bosnia, and the princes had sponsored terror with Saudi funds under their direction.

Prince Naif and Prince Salman are well known in the Arab and Islamic world for their charitable and humanitarian activities.

In January, Casey ruled that Saudi Arabia, the Saudi defense minister and the country’s current ambassador to the United States all had immunity from the litigation. The cases are among eight consolidated before the Manhattan federal judge that were filed on behalf of more than 3,000 plaintiffs including family members of those killed in the Sept. 11 attacks as well as survivors and insurance carriers. The complaints said more than 200 defendants helped support and fund the Sept. 11 mastermind Osama Bin Laden and his Al-Qaeda network.

Last January, Casey cleared Crown Prince Sultan, deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation; Saudi Ambassador to Washington Prince Turki Al-Faisal; Prince Mohammed Al-Faisal, Sheikh Saleh Kamel and Dallah Al-Baraka, among others, of all charges.