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Outspoken Saudi princess reveals that she is in prison
Source: The Guardian
Outspoken Saudi princess reveals that she is in prison
Princess Basmah, a human rights advocate and niece of King Salman, says she has been detained without charge
Martin Chulov Middle East correspondent
Fri 17 Apr 2020 05.00 BST
Last modified on Fri 17 Apr 2020 19.00 BST
A senior Saudi royal and granddaughter of the country’s founding monarch has revealed she is being held in prison and demanded that the current ruler and her cousin, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, release her and provide medical care.
Princess Basmah bint Saud bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, an outspoken human rights advocate, claims she is being detained without charge in Riyadh with one of her daughters. She says neither have received explanations for their arrests, despite repeated pleas to the kingdom’s royal court, and to her uncle King Salman.
The princess, the last of King Saud’s 108 children, took to Twitter to plead for freedom and claim her health had deteriorated to the point that it was now “very critical”. She said she was being held in al-Ha’ir prison, and claimed to have done no wrong.
News of her detention surprised two senior royals who said she had not been heard from for close to a year, and was thought to be convalescing after a bout of illness. Other members of the extended family believed her to be under house arrest.
It is understood that Princess Basmah and her daughter were detained as they tried to leave Saudi Arabia for Switzerland in March last year. She claimed then to be in urgent need of medical treatment. However her private jet was not allowed to depart.
-snip-
Princess Basmah, a human rights advocate and niece of King Salman, says she has been detained without charge
Martin Chulov Middle East correspondent
Fri 17 Apr 2020 05.00 BST
Last modified on Fri 17 Apr 2020 19.00 BST
A senior Saudi royal and granddaughter of the country’s founding monarch has revealed she is being held in prison and demanded that the current ruler and her cousin, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, release her and provide medical care.
Princess Basmah bint Saud bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, an outspoken human rights advocate, claims she is being detained without charge in Riyadh with one of her daughters. She says neither have received explanations for their arrests, despite repeated pleas to the kingdom’s royal court, and to her uncle King Salman.
The princess, the last of King Saud’s 108 children, took to Twitter to plead for freedom and claim her health had deteriorated to the point that it was now “very critical”. She said she was being held in al-Ha’ir prison, and claimed to have done no wrong.
News of her detention surprised two senior royals who said she had not been heard from for close to a year, and was thought to be convalescing after a bout of illness. Other members of the extended family believed her to be under house arrest.
It is understood that Princess Basmah and her daughter were detained as they tried to leave Saudi Arabia for Switzerland in March last year. She claimed then to be in urgent need of medical treatment. However her private jet was not allowed to depart.
-snip-
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/17/outspoken-saudi-princess-reveals-that-she-is-in-prison
______________________________________________________________________
Source: Insider
An abducted Saudi princess broke her 13-month silence to tweet for freedom. Her family says a hostile faction in the royal court is trying to take her share of a multibillion-dollar inheritance.
Bill Bostock Apr 16, 2020, 10:56 AM
A disappeared Saudi princess, who was abducted 13 months ago and accused of trying to flee the country, emerged on Thursday for the first time to ask her cousin Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for mercy on Twitter.
Princess Basmah bint Saud bin Abdulaziz al-Saud was taken "on suspicion of trying to flee the country" in March 2019 as she tried to fly to Switzerland to receive urgent medical care.
The medically equipped private plane, rented for $87,000 from Redstar Aviation, never left. She has not been publicly seen or heard from since.
A close family member told Insider that Basmah was sent to al-Ha'ir prison by Saudi state security, which accused her of procuring a fake passport, a claim she denies. The family member asked to remain anonymous to avoid retribution but their identity is known to Insider.
But on Thursday, a string of tweets posted from Basmah's verified account cast light on her location and wellbeing.
-snip-
Bill Bostock Apr 16, 2020, 10:56 AM
A disappeared Saudi princess, who was abducted 13 months ago and accused of trying to flee the country, emerged on Thursday for the first time to ask her cousin Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for mercy on Twitter.
Princess Basmah bint Saud bin Abdulaziz al-Saud was taken "on suspicion of trying to flee the country" in March 2019 as she tried to fly to Switzerland to receive urgent medical care.
The medically equipped private plane, rented for $87,000 from Redstar Aviation, never left. She has not been publicly seen or heard from since.
A close family member told Insider that Basmah was sent to al-Ha'ir prison by Saudi state security, which accused her of procuring a fake passport, a claim she denies. The family member asked to remain anonymous to avoid retribution but their identity is known to Insider.
But on Thursday, a string of tweets posted from Basmah's verified account cast light on her location and wellbeing.
-snip-
Read more: https://www.insider.com/saudi-princess-basmah-abducted-broke-silence-twitter-2020-4