Leaked report finds abuse, torture of Saudi political prisoners

Further signs of a deep rift within the Saudi royal family came to light yesterday in a leaked report on the abuse and torture of political prisoners arrested during a crackdown on dissidents by Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS). Their detention has drawn the attention of King Salman who is said to have set aside the objections of his son in ordering an internal review into the treatment of political detainees believed to number up to 200.

Details of the leaked report published by the Guardian newspaper indicate that political prisoners in the kingdom have been subjected to torture and severe physical abuse. The report contains recommendations to the king that include potential pardoning for the prisoners or early release because of the poor health conditions resulting from severe malnutrition.

The report is thought to be the first documented evidence from within the heart of the royal court that political prisoners are facing severe physical abuse, despite the government’s denials that men and women in custody are being tortured.

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The report found widespread abuse and mistreatment of political prisoners. Remarks about the condition of those detained include:

• “The patient suffers from severe weight loss with continuous bloody vomiting. There are also a number of wounds and bruises scattered in several areas of the body”
• “The patient cannot move at all due to wounds in both legs as well as severe weakness in the body due to malnutrition and lack of fluids”
• “The patient suffers from severe burns throughout the body. Old wounds were not completely healed because of medical negligence”
• “The patient suffers from difficulty in movement due to severe malnutrition and general lack of fluids. There are also a number of bruises, wounds and sores throughout the body”

In almost all cases, the reports demanded the prisoners be urgently transferred from solitary confinement to a medical centre.

The conditions of the prisoners are consistent with several reports that have emerged in recent months involving claims of torture in Saudi prisons. In January the Detention Review Panel (DPR) – a cross‐party group of British parliamentarians and international lawyers – opened an investigation into the detention and treatment of women activist detainees in Saudi Arabia earlier this year. The group called for Riyadh’s cooperation to verify reports of gross human rights abuse in the kingdom’s prison.

The internal review is said to have been approved by the king despite protests from his son. The crown prince is widely suspected of authorising the killing of Saudi Journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The brutal killing and the international backlash is believed to have caused friction within the royal family as King Salman attempted to undo the damage to the kingdom’s reputation.

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