Detainees ‘will get due process’

NEW YORK: Saudi royal family members, officials and businessmen arrested in an anti-corruption crackdown this month would be granted due process, Saudi Arabia’s UN Ambassador Abdallah Al-Mouallimi said yesterday.

Authorities have detained dozens of top Saudis, including billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal in a move widely seen as an attempt by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to neuter any opposition to his lightning ascent to power.

Those held face accusations of money laundering, extortion, bribery and exploiting public office for personal gain. A Saudi anti-corruption committee has been given the power to seize companies, funds and other assets ahead of criminal inquiries. “I can assure you there will be due process for anybody who is detained,” Al-Mouallimi said.

US President Donald Trump has endorsed the crackdown, though the State Department has urged Riyadh to carry out prosecutions in a “fair and transparent” manner.

Human Rights Watch has also called on Saudi authorities to “immediately reveal the legal and evidentiary basis for each person’s detention and make certain that each person detained can exercise their due process rights”. – Reuters