প্রকাশ: 09/01/2022
Saudi authorities have released a princess and her daughter
who had been detained without charge for nearly three years, her legal advisor
said on Saturday.
Princess Basmah Bint Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, 57, a
businesswoman, rights activist, and member of the royal family, went missing in
March 2019 along with her adult daughter Souhoud Al-Sharif.
"The two ladies were released from their arbitrary
imprisonment, and arrived at their home in Jeddah on Thursday 6th January 2022," her legal advisor Henri Estramant said.
"The princess is doing fine but will be seeking medical
expertise," Estramant added. "She seems worn out but is in good
spirits, and thankful to reunite with her sons in person."
The Saudi government media office did not immediately reply
to a request for comment. The government has never publicly commented about the
case.
In 2020, Princess Basmah said via her social media channels
that she had been held in the capital Riyadh for more than a year and was sick.
The youngest child of the late King Saud, Princess Basmah
has been critical of the kingdom's treatment of women.
She had been due to travel abroad for medical treatment
around the time of her arrest in late February 2019 and was informed after her
detention that she was accused of trying to forge a passport, a close relative
said at the time.
The charges were later dropped, but she remained imprisoned
along with her daughter who was with her at the time, the relative said.
Princess Basmah said in her social media posts about her
detention that she had been kept in Al-Ha'ir prison.
It is not clear whether her arrest was linked to past
detentions of Saudi royals and prominent citizens that sources have tied to
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's consolidation of power or crackdown on
dissent, including women's rights activists.
In a petition submitted to the United Nations, dated March 5
2020, and seen by Reuters, the princess's family suggested the reason for her
detention might be her role "as an outspoken critic of abuses in our
country of birth, but likewise for ... enquiring about the frozen fortune left
(by) her father".
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