Since King Salman took power, senior Saudi princes have been sidelined in favor of his son Prince Mohammed, who has consolidated power to an unprecedented level by arresting princes and removing them from key posts as he took control of the kingdom’s ministries and institutions of power. Prince Mohammed bin Nayef had been in line to the throne and was the country’s interior minister before being stripped of his powers in 2017.
Later that year, the current Crown Prince Prince Mohammed embarked on the most sweeping crackdown during his reign, ordering security forces to arrest senior princes and prominent businessmen in what was declared to be a crackdown on corruption.
Billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal was detained at the Ritz Carlton Hotel for months, and Prince Miteb, son of the late King Abdullah, was removed from his post as head of the powerful National Guard.
About two and a half years ago, Mohammed bin Salman arrested some Saudi princes on the pretext of fighting corruption, but now according to the Wall Street Journal on Friday, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman detained three members of the royal family for "treason" and "preparation for a coup".
Saudi Arabia detained some members of the royal family who may have been seen as threats to his rule; a move that shows he is crossing the red lines of the royal family, according to Alquds Newspaper.
Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz, the younger brother of King Salman, and Mohammed bin Nayef, the king’s nephew, are said to have been detained at their homes and charged with treason, according to the Wall Street Journal on Friday.
The New York Times also reported the detentions, adding that Prince Nayef's younger brother, Prince Nawaf bin Nayef, had also been arrested.
The detentions were the latest demonstration of the crown prince’s willingness to take extraordinary measures to quash any perceived rival.
According to an Arab source, the detentions are preventative and may be related to the deterioration of King Salman bin Abdulaziz's health.
According to some reports, they are not able to communicate with others as their cell phones have been confiscated for two days, indicating that something is happening.
The detention of Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz is a terrible violation of the traditions of the royal family. He detained the son of Abdulaziz, the founder of the dynasty, not an ordinary prince.
These detentions suggest a conspiracy between the princes against the current crown prince, but an informed source told Alquds Newspaper that Mohammed bin Nayef lives in total isolation in a remote area far from the capital, Jeddah, and Mecca, and he is not even allowed to use the phone or the Internet.
According to the source, the detentions indicates of concern for the health of King Salman bin Abdulaziz, who suffers from advanced Alzheimer's and does not control the sovereignty and security of the country and his son Mohammed bin Salman dominates the affairs of the country who does not hesitate to omit anyone who doubts him.
After growing speculation about the possible death of King Salman, a prominent Emirati figure Hamad Al Mazrouei who is close to Abu Dhabi's crown prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan published a photo of King Salman in his twitter account on Saturday.
The tweet sparked controversy on social media. Some believe that his tweet indicates that King Salman is dead.
Others saw the tweet as Bin Salman's move to remove all obstacles on his way to power in Saudi Arabia.
ZZ/