An Exiled Saudi Prince Asks Saudi Princes to Prevent Mohammed Bin Salman From Doing More Damage to the Kingdom
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Prince Khaled Bin Farhan, An exiled Saudi prince, called for a coup by his influential uncles to depose King Salman and prevent the current ruling structure led by his son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, from doing more damage to the kingdom
Bin Farhan, who has been awarded asylum in Germany, asked Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz and Prince Muqrin bin Abdulaziz to use the influence they wield with their fellow royals as well as with the military to bring about the palace coup
Prince Khaled’s comments come amid the Saudi crown prince’s mysterious absence from the public eye since heavy gunfire and explosions were reported just outside the royal palace in Riyadh late last month
Bin Farhan said “If King Salman had been in a good state of health, things wouldn’t have reached this stage. When we see public policy in Saudi Arabia, we can see that King Salman is completely absent from the screen or from the political scene in Saudi Arabia”
late last year, he arrested hundreds of fellow princes and businessmen in what the young prince tried to portray as an “anti-corruption campaign,” seizing a total of $100 billion in exchange for their freedom
Bin Farhan further explained that the arrest spree of the powerful figures by bin Salman has created much resentment within the royal family against the crown prince, noting, “The family feels it has been humiliated
“There is so much anger within the royal family” to the point that a potential evolution in the country’s ruling structure would be backed by “99 percent of the members of the royal family, the security services, and the army would stand behind them,” bin Farhan said. “I have received a large number of emails from within the police and army in support of my call
He referred to the April 21 alleged coup attempt in Riyadh as an instance of preparedness for action against the ultra-powerful in the kingdom
Bin Farhan contested reports that the security forces had tried to shoot down a drone during the incident, saying destroying an aircraft like that would not requires hours of exchange of fire.
He added, “It was a shock for the entire family because prominent figures in the family were detained, in a way that held a great deal of humiliation. It was a shock for the entire family. The family is now facing the undermining of its standing in the eyes of the people. And this will inevitably undermine its legitimacy
Even now, those freed are being kept on a short leash, with travel bans imposed upon them all, locators fitted onto their feet in most cases, and their contacts being closely monitored, he added