Saudi Arabia used abuse to seize billions during purge: NYT
At least 17 Saudi detainees were subjected to physical abuse during what was termed an anti-corruption campaign that saw the arrest of hundreds of prominent businessmen and princes in November, the New York Times has found.
The newspaper interviewed relatives, advisers, associates of the detainees, as well as Saudi officials, who denied the allegations.
"Relatives of some of the detainees said they were deprived of sleep, roughed up and interrogated with their heads covered while the government pressured them to sign over large assets," the article, published on Sunday, said.
According to the newspaper, the 17 detainees were hospitalised after facing abuse, while one Saudi general died in custody.
"One person who saw the corpse of the officer, Maj. Gen. Ali al-Qahtani, said that his neck was twisted unnaturally as though it had been broken, and that his body was badly bruised and distended.
"A doctor and two other people briefed on the condition of the body said that it had burn marks that appeared to be from electric shocks," the newspaper said.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018...seize-billions-purge-nyt-180312103003792.html
