Imprisoned Saudi Princess Lost All Contact with Family Who Have ’No Idea’ Whether She’s Dead or Alive

By Staff, Agencies

Relatives of a Saudi Arabian princess, who has purportedly remained imprisoned for over a year after trying to fly to Europe for routine medical care, are now fearing the worst about her health, claiming that they have not been able to get in contact with her since April.

Saudi Princess Basmah bint Saud bin Abdulaziz, 56, who is a prominent human rights activist, and her daughter Souhoud Al-Sharif, 28, were kidnapped from their home in the western port city of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on March 1, 2019. What happened to her after that remained a mystery to the outside world until 13 months later.

On April 17, 2020, a series of tweets from the princess’ verified Twitter account, which were soon deleted and then reposted on April 27, 2020, pleaded for her cousin, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, to release her from the Al-Ha'ir Prison, a maximum-security prison located approximately 25 miles south of Riyadh, the Persian Gulf kingdom's capital.

It has been nearly two months since relatives have been able to contact the princess over the phone, according to a report published Sunday by NBC News. An unnamed “family confidant” said if “she’s dead or alive we have no idea, we literally have no single clue.”

“My health is continuously deteriorating which may lead to my death, it’s VERY critical, and they know it,” read a letter purportedly written by the princess and repeatedly posted and reposted on her Twitter account throughout the month of April.

“This week Muslims around the globe begin our holy week of Ramadan, one that most of us shall spend with family, even if much limited owing to the ongoing pandemic,” the letter said.

It continued: “In this month of mercy, our holy Ramadan, I once more call upon my uncle, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and my cousin, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, to find it in their hearts the sense of justice that ought to be impregnated in any Muslim during Ramadan, and beyond, and reminisce their relative held arbitrarily in the worst conditions possible, in spite of her service for the kingdom.”

The letter also claims Ha'ir prison officials have repeatedly stated the mother and daughter are not subject to any charges or an ongoing investigation, yet they remain imprisoned.

On May 13, a tweet from her verified account but signed Media Office said relatives have not been able to contact the princess since her public cry for help in April.

“The direct and indirect weekly communications from Princess Basmah bint Saud with her family have been cut off completely since the tweet on April 17th, 2020. We have not received any information about her deteriorating health or legal status,” the media office said.

“The silence on her health and legal status is disturbing. It has been kept secret in her homeland and from her relatives,” the office continued. “The media office is hereby urgently requesting the authorities, once more, during this month of Ramadan, to compassionately free Princess Basmah and her daughter, Souhoud Al-Sharif, who were arrested on March 1st, 2019 without charge.”