Saudi officials were not immediately available for comment. (File)
Riyadh:
A human rights group said on Saturday Saudi authorities had released a princess and her daughter, who had been held free of charge for nearly three years in the capital.
Basma bint Saud, 57, a member of the royal family long considered a supporter of women’s rights and a constitutional monarchy, has been detained since March 2019 and in April 2020 pleaded with the National King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman released her for health reasons.
“Basma bint Saud Al Saud and her daughter Suhoud … have been released,” ALQST for Human Rights said on Twitter.
“She was denied necessary medical care for a potentially life-threatening condition,” the human rights group added. “At no point during her detention did she have any charges against her.”
Saudi officials were not immediately available for comment.
Princess Basmah was arrested shortly before she planned to travel to Switzerland for medical treatment, according to a source close to the family.
The nature of her illness has never been revealed.
Crown Prince Mohammed has overseen a reform effort since he was appointed by his father King Salman in June 2017 at the expense of the previously appointed heir to the throne, Mohammed bin Nayef.
Reforms have included lifting a decades-old ban on women driving and easing the so-called “guardianship” rule that allows men to have arbitrary rights over women’s relatives.
However, the Saudi government has also cracked down on dissidents and even potential opponents, from preachers to women’s rights activists, even the whole royal family.
Princess Basmah was held in Al-Ha’ir prison, where many other political prisoners were kept.
In written testimony before the United Nations in 2020, seen by AFP, her family said her detention was largely due to “her record as an outspoken critic of abuses.” “.
She is also considered an ally of Mohammed bin Nayef, the testimony added.
In November 2017, an extensive anti-corruption campaign saw Riyadh’s posh Ritz-Carlton hotel serve for three months as a de facto detention center for dozens of princes and officials. senior officials are suspected of cheating or disloyalty.
In March 2020, royal bodyguards arrested King Salman’s brother and grandson, accusing them of waging a coup against Crown Prince Mohammed, according to several sources.
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from an aggregated feed.)
