Hassa bin Salman is facing charges of complicity to violence and complicity to kidnap after allegedly ordering her bodyguard to beat a workman in Paris, France.
Rabat – Hassa bin Salman, the daughter of Saudi Arabia’s King Salman and half-sister of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman went on trial in absentia Tuesday, July 9, in Paris. The princess faces charges of kidnapping and complicity to violence after she allegedly ordered her bodyguard to beat a plumber at the Saudi’s royal apartment in Paris, France in 2016.
The princess accused the plumber of taking photos and videos of her to sell. The workman denied her accusations, emphasizing that he was only taking pictures of the bathroom on his phone in order to remember where items were put before he started work.
When the princess saw him, she suspected that he was taking photos of her in the mirror.
The plumber, who is an Egyptian-born man, testified that theprincess’ bodyguard punched and kicked him following Princess Hassa’s accusations.
In his testimony, the victim also claims that the princess threatened him.
The worker further testified that the princess shouted: “Kill him, the dog, he doesn’t deserve to live.”
The victim also claims that the princess said, “You’ll see how you speak to a princess, how you speak to the royal family.’
The incident dates back to September 2016.
Since 2017, both the princess and her bodyguard were are under an international arrest issued by the French authorities.
Only the bodyguard attended Tuesday’s trial, according to AFP.
The bodyguard denied allegations of violence, emphasizing that he only overpowered the plumber and seized him after he heard the princess shouting for help.
“I didn’t know what he was after,” said the bodyguard.
Emmanuel Moyenne, Princess Hassa’s lawyer, told Reuters that the allegations against the victims contradict her principles.
“The princess is a caring, humble, approachable, and cultured woman.”
