Incarcerated Saudi Princess Appeals to King for Release

Text by: RFI Follow

An incarcerated Saudi princess without charges has appealed to King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, calling for his release from a high security prison on health grounds, a rare occurrence for the royal family in Saudi Arabia.

Publicity

Princess Basmah ben Saoud, a 56-year-old businesswoman and personality known for her outspokenness, has been detained since March 2019. She was arrested just before a trip to Switzerland for medical treatment, according to a source close to her family. This request for public release is the latest sign of disturbances which agitate the very secret Saudi royal family, after the detention last March of the brother and nephew of King Salman .

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"  I am currently being arbitrarily detained in Al-Hair prison without [being charged] with crimes or other facts,  " the princess wrote in a letter posted on her Twitter account. It is unknown if she was able to tweet from prison or if someone else did it for her.

Located near Riyadh, Al-Hair prison is known for hosting many political detainees. "  My health is seriously deteriorating and this could lead to my death. [...] I did not receive treatment or even a response to letters sent from the prison to the Royal Court,  "she added. She claims to have been "  thrown in prison  " after having been "  abducted without explanation  " with one of her daughters and calls on her uncle King Salman and his cousin, Mohammed, de facto leader of the country, to be released given his condition " very critical  " health  .

A rare fact

Princess Basma does not specify the disease from which she suffers, but her letter was published at the time when Saudi Arabia is trying to contain the Covid-19 epidemic . A full curfew is in effect in most of the country, which has officially recorded nearly 6,400 cases and more than 80 deaths.

The call of the princess is a rare and daring fact within the sprawling Saudi royal family, made up of thousands of members who generally refrain from expressing their grievances in public.

In early March, the authorities arrested three princes, including the brother and nephew of King Salman. They would be accused of plotting to overthrow the powerful crown prince. The government did not comment on the arrests, but a source close to the Palace said the arrests of the three princes were a message against dissent.

(with AFP)

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