Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman orders arrest of King’s brother and nephew as they are charged with treason ‘over coup plot’
- Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz al Saud and Prince Mohammed bin Nayef were arrested
- Over plot to oust king and son, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, reports suggest
- Mohammed bin Nayef had been crown prince before his title was taken away
- King Salman put his son – Prince Mohammed bin Salman – first in line for throne
The brother and nephew of Saudi Arabia’s King Salman have been arrested over a plot to oust the king and his son, Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
One of the king’s brothers, Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz al Saud, and one of his nephews, Prince Mohammed bin Nayef have been arrested in their homes and charged with treason, The Wall Street Journal reports.
Mohammed bin Nayef, a once powerful figure as head of Saudi counter-terrorism efforts, had been crown prince until 2017.
The brother and nephew of Saudi Arabia’s King Salman have been arrested over a plot to oust the king and his son, Prince Mohammed bin Salman (pictured)
King Salman took away the title and put his son – Prince Mohammed bin Salman – first in line for the throne.
That same year the crown prince ordered a sweeping crackdown arresting senior members of the royal family, claiming it was a bid to tackle corruption.
Son of late Billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Prince Miteb was stripped of his position as National Guards chief.
Billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal was also arrested.
One of the king’s brothers, Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz al Saud, and one of his nephews, Prince Mohammed bin Nayef (first row right) have been arrested in their homes and charged with treason, The Wall Street Journal reports
He won plaudits from Western leaders after he introduced some moderate reforms – allowing women in Saudi Arabia to drive for the first time ever and introducing cinemas to the country.
The Crown Prince – known simply as MBS – also reined in the country’s fierce and ultra conservative religious police.
Leaders including Theresa May and Donald Trump have rolled out the red carpet for him during his lavish visits.
But the brutal murder of Jamal Khashoggi has severely damaged his reputation.
MBS has been accused of ordering the journalist’s murder, and the killing sparked calls for him to be replaced as Crown Prince.
While the Saudi authorities have publicly insisted the Prince does not have blood on his hands and did not order the killing, his reputation has been badly tarnished.
Mohammed bin Nayef also came under criticism after the 2018 killing of Saudi dissident and Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
Critics accused him of being linked to the killing but he denied any involvement.