Prince Faisal bin Yazid Released after Dropping Corruption Charges against Saudi Officials
Recently, Saudi Prince Faisal bin Yazid issued a press statement retracting his earlier comments in which he had criticised the leaders of the Al Hilal Saudi Club and accused some government officials of corruption, emphasising that his remarks had been misinterpreted.
The press release was issued after his remarks sparked controversy on social media, particularly following his arrest.
Although the prince’s arrest has not yet been officially confirmed by Saudi authorities, the statement confirms that he was detained and subjected to negotiations for conditional release.
According to people familiar with the matter, Prince Faisal bin Yazid and Khaled bin Talal, the brother of businessman Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, were detained last month after they expressed their displeasure with the Al Hilal Club’s leadership on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The sources said that Prince Khaled bin Talal launched a fierce attack against Turki Al-Sheikh, former head of the Sports Authority, accusing him of corruption.
Prince Khaled bin Talal claimed in a tweet that he was fired in 2018 along with the former leaders of the Al-Ittihad Club, Nawaf Al-Muqairen, and the Al-Nasr Club, Saud Al-Suwailem, after they exposed a plot against the Al-Hilal Club.
For his part, Prince Faisal bin Yazid bin Abdullah criticied prominent Al Hilal Club leaders, saying that unknown individuals are attempting to thwart Al Hilal’s business deals.
Prince Faisal bin Yazid has not been released, according to the sources, but his press release demonstrates that the Saudi government has been engaging in intellectual terrorism against any dissident voices.