Saudi Arabia ‘arrests royal family members’

Those detained reportedly include a brother of King Salman

Saudi Arabia has detained at least two members of the country’s royal family, according to reports.

The arrests included Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz, a younger full brother of King Salman and uncle of the de-facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, two sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.

Prince Ahmed was one of only three people on the Allegiance Council, made up of the ruling family’s senior members, who opposed the 34-year-old becoming crown prince in 2017, sources have previously said.

The New York Times reported that three members of the ruling clan had been arrested, including Mohammed bin Nayef, a former interior minister. The newspaper cited a person close to the family and a former US official as confirming the detentions.

The Wall Street Journal also reported the incident, quoting anonymous sources.

The UK government has faced pressure over its ties with Riyadh, with Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary, urged by campaigners to ban arms sales from the UK until Saudi Arabia fixes its “abysmal human rights record”.

The Foreign Office said Mr Raab would raise human rights concerns during his first official Gulf trip.

In January a Saudi dissident who had sought refuge in Britain won the right to have his case involving claims that Riyadh hacked his phone heard in the High Court. That development came after allegations that Jeff Bezos' phone was hacked after he received a malicious file from Prince Mohammed's WhatsApp account.

The Independent has contacted the Saudi Arabian embassy in London for comment.

Additional reporting by agencies