Saudi King Salman Orders Arrest of Royal Prince

Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz, pictured, ordered the arrest of Saudi Prince Saud bin Abdulaziz bin Musaed bin Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, who was allegedly captured on video assaulting four Riyadh residents. File Photo by Olivier Douliery/Pool/UPI

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July 20 (UPI) -- Authorities on Thursday announced an order from Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz to arrest a royal prince, on charges he assaulted at least four residents of Riyadh.

Salman issued an immediate arrest warrant for Prince Saud bin Abdulaziz bin Musaed bin Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and anyone else who took part with him in the purported abuses. The king also ordered both the victims and the accused to give recorded testimony.

Salman's order will keep Prince Saud in prison until a ruling is issued following trial.

The king's order also said the government is taking steps to prevent deviant behavior, to maintain security and to ensure that anyone who breaks the law will be punished, regardless of his or her status.

Arab News reported the prince was arrested prior to the announcement of the arrest warrant on Thursday.

Prince Saud's arrest comes after videos surfaced on social media showing a man who resembles the prince verbally and physically assaulting several victims -- including a Yemeni man and two women. The videos triggered outrage online.

The Saudi government has a history of punishing royal members for illegal acts. In October 2016, authorities executed Prince Turki bin Saud bin Turki bin Saud Al-Kabeer for killing a fellow Saudi citizen.

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