Saudi Leaks reveals: Muhammad bin Nayef’s severely deteriorated

A diplomatic source revealed to Saudi Leaks that the health of Muhammad bin Nayef has severely deteriorated. The former crown prince has been detained since March 2020 on the higher orders of the current crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman.

The source said that Muhammad bin Nayef is subject to arbitrary detention under the “house arrest” clause, amid reports that he was imprisoned in the Al-Ha’ir prison, which caused him to deteriorate his health further.

The source confirmed that Muhammad bin Nayef is being seriously mistreated and suffers from high rates of diabetes and pressure to very high levels. In addition, he did not receive any medications, which caused him to lose approximately 22 kilos of weight and suffer from severe depression and mental disorders.

He referred to the frequency of documented reports that he had suffered psychological torture, including being deprived of sleep, leaving him with his hands and feet tied and blindfolded for several days.

The source indicated that Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz, who was arrested with Muhammad bin Nayef, is under house arrest in a palace belonging to King Salman bin Abdulaziz and is subjected to ill-treatment.

Evidence confirms that Mohammed bin Salman deliberately adopts a “slow killing” strategy against Mohammed bin Nayef and Ahmed bin Abdulaziz to achieve his goal of getting rid of one of his most prominent competitors.

The NBC News network had previously confirmed that Muhammad bin Nayef was subjected to severe torture and physical abuse during his arrest, “to the extent that he became unable to walk without assistance.”

The network quoted a diplomatic source saying, “Muhammad bin Nayef suffered serious injuries to his feet as a result of the beating, and he was prevented from obtaining pain relievers.”

One of the sources said that Mohammed bin Nayef is forbidden to go out and is not allowed to see anyone, including his doctor or legal representatives.

Mohammed bin Salman had deliberately imposed additional measures against the two detained princes after the US administration published the intelligence agency’s report on the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and confirmed the Crown Prince’s involvement in the crime.

Mohammed bin Salman resorted to tightening the isolation and preventing any communication of the two detained princes with the US administration in light of the growing danger of being targeted by Washington and considering him a pariah on the international scene.

Brookings Institution has previously concluded that Prince Mohammed bin Nayef is an effective alternative to Mohammed bin Salman.

The Brookings Institution, a think-tank, called on the administration of US President Joe Biden to pressure Riyadh to release him.

The institute said that Mohammed bin Nayef was not detained for a crime he committed but rather because he posed a problem to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Brookings’ report acknowledges that the Biden administration’s adoption of the Muhammad bin Nayef case may be an “extraordinary step.”

But according to the report, “it should be an urgent task given his significant contributions to American security, and because his life is in great danger.”

A British parliamentary commission of inquiry had previously confirmed that the detention of Muhammad bin Nayef constituted a “violation of international law” and part of a campaign launched by bin Salman to consolidate his authority.

Lawyers for the former Saudi crown prince have warned that their client is the victim of a continuous and coordinated attack from inside Saudi Arabia on social media, which threatens his personal safety.

Mohammed bin Nayef is the son of Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz, the longest-serving Minister of Interior in Saudi Arabia, and was educated in the United States.

He also received training with the FBI and the British Police Scotland Yard.

Muhammad bin Nayef gradually assumed his father’s position as Minister of Interior, and he enjoyed good relations with the United States, whose officials praised his efficiency in combating terrorism.