Formerly missing Saudi princess pleads for Saudi royalty to release her

Princess Basmah bint Saud bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, who went missing after trying fly to Geneva, Switzerland in 2018, has begun publishing letters pleading with the Saudi royal family to release her from prison. The princess's pleas were published on her official twitter profile, where she explained that she was abducted along with her daughter without explanation and held in Al-Hair Prison, a maximum-security facility south of Riyadh, without any criminal charges, according to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed. As of Friday afternoon, the most recent tweet on the princess's Twitter account was from the summer of 2019. It is unclear if the above mentioned tweets were deleted. Princess Basmah is the youngest daughter of Saudi Arabia's second ruler, King Abdul Aziz. 'She just fell off the radar; no one knew where she was. We actually feared the worst,' Princess Basmah's former attorney, Leonard Bennett, told Deutsche Welle (DW) in November. On one occasion, the princess answered a phone call 'sounding very much like a hostage'. In November, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported that it was believed that the princess was under house arrest. The 56-year-old princess cited 'very critical' health issues in her plea. 'My health is deteriorating to an extent that is serve [sic], and that could lead to my death,' said Princess Basmah, according to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed. 'I have not received medical care or even response to the letters I dispatched from jail to the Royal Court.' The princess has spoken out for human rights in the kingdom, including advocating for constitutional reforms and called for an end to Saudi Arabia's military intervention in Yemen. In 2011, amid the Arab Spring uprisings, the princess warned that no Arab country is immune from change and that countries should grant freedoms before being forced to. 'I am still an obedient citizen and I will always be behind the royal family,' said the princess to The Independent in 2012. 'But I will never be quiet about what is happening on the ground.' Multiple crackdowns by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman have targeted senior royal family members in recent months. In March, three princes, including King Salman's brother and nephew, were arrested on charges of 'plotting a coup to unseat the king and crown prince,' according to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed. The detained royals could face lifetime imprisonment or execution. In 2017, bin Salman arrested hundreds of Saudi royals, government officials, and business people at Riyadh's Ritz Carlton hotel. Analysts and critics claimed the move was done to consolidate power and get perceived rivals out of the way. Reuters contributed to this report.

Formerly missing Saudi princess pleads for Saudi royalty to release her

The 56-year-old princess cited "very critical" health issues in her plea.

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Formerly missing Saudi princess pleads for Saudi royalty to release her

The 56-year-old princess cited "very critical" health issues in her plea.

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