Saudi Arabia arrests 11 princes who protested measures

Saudi Arabia arrested 11 princes on Saturday for staging a sit-in at a palace in Riyadh, objecting recently imposed austerity measures, the Kingdom’s information ministry said in a statement.

The princes were protesting a recent Royal Order that halted state payments to members of the royal family to cover their electricity and water utility bills, Attorney General Sheikh Saud Al Mojeb said.

They were also seeking compensation for a death sentence that was issued against one of their cousins, who was convicted of murder and executed in 2016, the statement added.

“Despite being informed that their demands are not lawful, the 11 princes refused to leave the area, disrupting public peace and order,” the Attorney General said.

As a result, the princes were arrested and have been charged on a number of counts.

The detainees are currently being held at the Al-Hayer prison south of the capital, pending trial.

In November last year, Saudi Arabia arrested dozens of princes, top businessmen, and government officials in a historic anti-corruption crackdown.

At the time, Al Mojeb said an estimated $100 billion had been misused through systematic corruption and embezzlement over several decades.