Saudi Princes arrested: Know all about their gilded prison
New Delhi : In a major crackdown on corruption, Saudi Arabian King has ordered the arrest of over 500 people, including members of the royal family House of Sauds.
The royal prisoners, however, have not been kept in the scary dungeons. Their prison is a luxurious property most cannot dream to visit with their life savings.
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Riyadh, favoured by the world's richest, has been converted overnight into a prison for the royal family accused in ongoing graft investigation.
The hotel is considered a second home to the royal family and is also the place where most the princes were originally arrested from.
A shaky video from inside the hotel has emerged, which is allegedly a glimpse of the prison arrangements for the Royals. Reportedly shot early on Monday morning in the hotel's Ballroom B, the video shows, people lying on mats covered with brightly coloured blankets in floral motifs while guards in dark uniforms are visible in the background. In a corner stands a rifle, which appears to be a US standard military-issue M4, its civilian variant or a copycat.
The country's attorney general, Sheikh Saud al-Mujeb, said Monday that detainees had been subjected to detailed interrogations. He said the investigations were being conducted in secret to protect the integrity of the legal procedures and to ensure that the detainees' high social status would not exempt them from justice.
Members of the royal family have been prohibited from leaving the country, sparking fear and concern. It was a striking turnabout for elites accustomed to lives of extreme privilege and the freedom to jet off to Paris, London or New York at the drop of a hat.
While the stated goal of the arrests was fighting corruption, some observers see the crackdown as part of the consolidation of power by the country's young crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman.
