Watan-The website “Voice of the People,” affiliated with the opposition Saudi National Assembly Party, shed light in a report on the relationship between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Jeffrey Epstein, who was convicted of sexually exploiting children and committed suicide in prison before facing trial for sex trafficking charges.
On January 4th, the Epstein case resurfaced, as a New York judge began revealing names connected to the case of the American billionaire Epstein, who died in prison in 2019 before facing trial for sexual crimes.
According to the report by “Voice of the People,” the Saudi Crown Prince continues to be haunted by scandals. After five years since the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside his country’s consulate in Turkey, and the revelation of his involvement in the assassination, which strained relations with Ankara, Salman managed to repair relations with Turkey and improve ties with the United States and Britain. However, he now faces the stain of his connection with the sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
Epstein had been legally pursued since 2005, after a parent complained of his harassment of her 14-year-old daughter. He confessed to the charges, and a Florida court convicted him of prostitution and procuring a minor for prostitution on June 30, 2008. He was arrested again in mid-2019, charged with sex trafficking of minors in Florida and New York.
Recently, documents related to the Epstein network revealed the involvement of prominent figures, ranging from 150 to 180 individuals, including women believed to be his victims, and others suspected of complicity. The names mentioned in the documents included politicians, members of royal families, businessmen, lawyers, and artists.
While the revealed names in these documents were British, American, and Israeli figures, including former U.S. presidents Donald Trump and Bill Clinton, and former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, they brought back to memory the previously disclosed relationship between Epstein and members of royal families, including Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is considered the de facto ruler of the kingdom.
The case serves as a reminder of a report by “Middle East Eye” published following Epstein’s suicide in August 2019, which highlighted his connections to the Middle East. Epstein boasted that his extensive social circle made him a powerful intermediary for linking business entities with potential financiers. A year before his death, he also bragged about his relationships with influential Saudi leaders, including Mohammed bin Salman.
According to the report, Epstein showed the journalist a picture of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman hanging in his New York mansion, claiming that the Crown Prince had visited him several times, and they had extensive conversations. The address book of Epstein also featured entries with the names “Saud” and “Prince Salman,” widely believed to refer to King Salman bin Abdulaziz and the Saudi Ambassador to the United States, Prince Bandar bin Sultan.
Mohammed bin Salman and individuals obsessed with sex
This is not the first time that the Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, has been revealed to have established friendships with individuals obsessed with sex. In May 2020, the American newspaper “New York Times” published a photo showing Mohammed bin Salman with the American-Lebanese resident in the UAE, George Nader, who had been judicially convicted of various sexual offenses, including rape and child molestation.
At that time, the photo confirmed the existence of a relationship between Nader, who had a penchant for children, and the Saudi Prince, showcasing a significant camaraderie between them.
In the photo, bin Salman is seen embracing Nader, who identifies himself as an advisor to the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Mohammed bin Zayed, now the ruler of the UAE. Both smile for the camera, seemingly posing for a souvenir photo.
Although the exact timing of the photo remains unclear, Western media treated it as new evidence or an indication that Saudi Arabia was involved in activities carried out by Nader.
It is noted that a judicial ruling was issued against George Nader by a U.S. federal court in 1985, convicting him of committing sexual violations, revealing his predilection for children. Materials such as films, images, and magazines containing explicit pictures and scenes involving underage children were seized.
Jeffrey Epstein was a businessman in the financial sector with extensive influence, and his network of economic and political relationships extended both within and outside the United States. He was accused of sexually assaulting and raping minors. Epstein committed suicide in his prison cell in New York on August 10, 2019, leading to the dismissal of the public case against him.