Gilded Cage

Shocking 'Imprisonment' Of Saudi Princesses

The Royalist claims not to be an expert on the labrynthine ways of the Saudi Royal family, however a shocking reminder of the human rights violations that occur in the kingdom comes today from the former wife of Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah, Alanoud AlFayez, who has appealed to US president Barack Obama to help in the case of her four daughters who are allegedly being kept captive in a royal palace.Jordanian national AlFayez, who married King Abdullah when she was 15 in an arranged marriage and divorced in 2003, said her children need to be "saved and released immediately"."Since 13 years, my daughters Sahar, Maha, Hala and Jawaher are being held captive," AlFayez told news agency AFP.Obama is due to visit the Gulf Kingdom on Friday.

"Obama should take this opportunity to address these grave violations committed against my daughters," she said.Sahar, who at 42 is the eldest daughter, complained on Twitter about her situation, accusing the royal family of "unlawfully detaining" them and of "physically and psychologically abusing us for years".According to reports, things deteriorated after AlFayez divorced the monarch and flew to London. The girls are said to be barred from leaving the country and cannot leave the palace without armed guards.The mother has not seen them in person for a decade. Hala is believed to be suffering from extreme anorexia and psychological problems.

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Tom SykesEuropean Editor at Large

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