Saudi Prince Detains Senior Members of Royal Family
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Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has detained a brother of the king, a former crown prince and a cousin, royals who may have been seen as threats to his rule.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia, left, with Mohammed bin Nayef, the former crown prince. Fayez Nureldine/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
By David D. Kirkpatrick and Ben Hubbard
March 7, 2020
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The detentions were not announced by the Saudi government, and it remains unclear what prompted them. An official at the Saudi Embassy in Washington declined to comment.
They were disclosed Friday by a member of the royal family and a person close to the clan. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because of the danger of speaking out publicly about the crown prince.
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None of the princes he detained, however, had given any indication that they intended to challenge Crown Prince Mohammed.
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Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, the former crown prince, had once been perceived as the most significant rival to the current crown prince on his path to power. As interior minister, Prince Mohammed bin Nayef controlled one of the country’s three armed forces, along with the military and the national guard, giving him significant leverage in any power struggle.
His closeness with Washington was also perceived as an asset within the royal family.
But Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman not only ousted but also humiliated his predecessor in 2017. Aides to the current crown prince physically forced his predecessor to relinquish his roles, detaining him for a prolonged period and depriving him of needed medicines.
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Detaining family members suspected of disloyalty has become a trademark of Crown Prince Mohammed. His detention of hundreds of powerful businessmen and royal family members in 2017 at the Ritz-Carlton in Riyadh was portrayed as a crackdown on corruption. Critics called it a consolidation of power and a shakedown.
Associates of many of those detained said they were subjected to torture and physical abuse, then coerced into turning over billions of dollars in private wealth in exchange for their release.
Since the killing of Mr. Khashoggi, though, many supporters of Crown Prince Mohammed argued that the debacle had taught him to restrain his aggressive impulses.
The Saudis familiar with the arrests said Friday that it was unclear where the new detainees were being held, if they might face criminal charges, or if they might soon be released.
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