His Excellency Sheikh Saud Al Mojeb, Attorney General of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, issued the following statement on Saturday, in response to news media reports on the arrest on Thursday of 11 princes at the historic Qasr Al-Hokm palace in the center of old Riyadh:

A group of 11 princes staged a sit in at the historic Qasr Al-Hokm palace on Thursday. They said they were objecting to a recent Royal Order that halted payments by the State to members of the Royal Family to cover their electricity and water utility bills.

They were also seeking compensation to be paid to them for a death sentence that was issued against one of their cousins who had been convicted of killing another man and executed in 2016.

Despite being informed that their demands are not lawful, the 11 princes refused to leave the area, disrupting public peace and order. Members of a security services stepped in to restore order and the princes were arrested. Following their arrest, they have been charged on a number of counts in relation to these offences. They are detained at Al-Hayer prison south of the capital pending their trial.

No one is above the law in Saudi Arabia, everyone is equal and is treated the same as others. Any person, regardless of their status or position, will be held accountable should they decide not to follow the rules and regulations of the State”.