Watan-Saudi authorities seem adamant about pursuing a policy of silencing dissenting voices, suppressing any voice that rises against their perceived corrupt policies, even if that voice belongs to a prince, risking eternal disappearance. Among the victims of these arbitrary arrests are two Saudi princes, Khalid bin Talal and Faisal bin Yazid, both honorary members of Al-Hilal Club. They were arrested after criticizing the club’s management and pointing to the corruption of the current President of the Entertainment Authority, Turki Al-Sheikh.
Prince Faisal bin Yazid lashed out at prominent officials in Al-Hilal Club who participated in the space, telling them, “You are not worthy, nor are you men.” The princes pointed to hidden hands causing Al-Hilal’s deals to fail, using the Saudi Investment Fund as a cover, as reported by the “Voice of the People” website, affiliated with Saudi opposition abroad.
The opposition Saudi website confirmed in a recent report the news it had conveyed days ago about the arrest of the princes, describing it as unconfirmed. The site also substantiated the information by publishing what it described as an exclusive document, a tacit pledge and apology from Prince Faisal bin Yazid, which he was forced to write.
Under forced disappearance, bin Yazid pointed to entities like the Attraction Committees that hinder Al-Hilal’s deals. As the summer transfer period began, according to the Saudi prince, the committee did not consider the club’s needs for A-class stars. The “Voice of the People” website shared an exclusive document it obtained, which Prince Faisal bin Yazid was forced to write as a condition for his release.
The document, described by the newspaper as exclusive, contains a tacit pledge and apology from Prince Faisal bin Yazid. Despite the public apology from the prince, he and Khalid bin Talal have not been released, in a policy of enforced disappearance that the kingdom follows with anyone who criticizes or tries to reveal the truth about the corruption of prominent officials, like Turki Al-Sheikh and others, as in the case of some prisoners of conscience and prominent scholars.