Saudi Arabia holding senior prince incommunicado, says HRW

Saudi authorities have detained Prince Faisal, the son of late King Abdullah, and are holding him incommunicado, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Saturday.

HRW, citing a source close to the royal family, said security forces arrested Prince Faisal bin Abdullah from a family compound northeast of Riyadh on March 27, where he was self-isolating due to the coronavirus pandemic.

No reason was given by the authorities for the arrest.

The source said family members have not been able to learn anything about Prince Faisal’s location or status since then.

Prince Faisal had previously been arrested, along with scores of prominent Saudis, including royal family members, in an anti-corruption drive in 2017.

According to the source, the authorities released Prince Faisal in late December 2017 after he agreed to hand over assets.

The source said Saudi authorities imposed a travel ban on Prince Faisal following his release on Dec. 29, 2019.

"Despite waves of criticism, the lawless behavior of Saudi authorities during the de facto rule of Mohammed bin Salman continues unabated,” Michael Page, deputy Middle East director at HRW, said in a statement on the group's website.

"Now we have to add Prince Faisal to the hundreds detained in Saudi Arabia without a clear legal basis," Page said.

"The arrest and possible disappearance of Prince Faisal demonstrates again Saudi authorities’ blatant disrespect for the rule of law and the need for a full overhaul of the justice system."

According to HRW, Saudi authorities detained three senior princes in March 2020, including Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz, King Salman’s full brother, along with Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, a former crown prince and interior minister removed by the Saudi king in June 2017, after which he was placed under long-term house arrest.