Jailed Saudi princess pleads for release as Ramadan arrives

A prominent Saudi princess has appealed to the kingdom’s king and crown prince to release her from prison as the holy month of Ramadan began, according to a letter published on her official website and Facebook account.

Princess Basmah Bint Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, 56, a businesswoman, writer and rights activist, went missing in March 2019. Only recently did she publicly communicate that she has been held at al-Ha’ir prison in the capital Riyadh for over a year and is sick.

The youngest child of the late King Saud, Princess Basmah has been particularly critical of the kingdom’s treatment of women.

A close relative, who declined to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue, confirmed the letter’s authenticity.

The relative told Reuters that the princess 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.

The charges were dropped, but she remains imprisoned along with a daughter who was with her at the time, the relative said.

The princess has had limited, though regular contact with relatives through visits and phone calls over the past year. Her family has not heard from her since she made her public appeal.

Reuters has not been able to verify independently the circumstances of her disappearance and detention.

The Saudi government media office did not respond to a written request for comment on the details of her case.

There has been no public comment by Saudi officials on the letter published on Wednesday or an earlier plea posted on her social media accounts last week.

“This week, Muslims around the globe begin our Holy month of Ramadan … (I) will be spending it at al-Ha’ir prison unless my uncle, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and my cousin, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, decide to release me,” the letter said.

“My health is continuously deteriorating, which may lead to my death, it’s VERY critical and they know it.”