human right

Outspoken Saudi princess released after nearly three years in jail

Human rights advocate Princess Basmah and her daughter were imprisoned without charge in 2019
Saudi authorities have released a princess and her daughter who had been detained without charge for nearly three years.

Princess Basmah bint Saud bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, 57, an outspoken human rights advocate 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 6 January 2022,” her legal adviser Henri Estramant said on Saturday.

“The princess is doing fine but will be seeking medical expertise. She seems worn out but is in good spirits, and thankful to reunite with her sons in person.”
Princess Basmah, the daughter of Saudi Arabia’s second king and an outspoken human rights advocate, was detained in March 2019 along with her daughter.
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The government has not made a comment about her release. It has never publicly commented about the case.

In 2020, Princess Basmah said via social media that she had been imprisoned in the capital Riyadh for more than a year and was sick. She demanded that the current ruler and her cousin, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, release her and provide medical care.