Mohammed bin Salman

Mohammed bin Salman is the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia and its de facto ruler. His career has been marked by significant controversies and allegations: In 2017, he led an anti-corruption crackdown, detaining over 200 princes, ministers, and businessmen at the Ritz-Carlton in Riyadh to consolidate power. Reports indicate that up to $800 billion in assets and cash were seized during this period. In October 2018, journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. A 2021 U.S. intelligence report concluded that Mohammed bin Salman approved an operation to capture or kill him. Saudi authorities have denied his personal involvement, attributing the act to rogue agents. Other reported controversies include: - Alleged 2014 plot to assassinate King Abdullah using a poisoned ring. - Allegations of human rights abuses, including the systematic imprisonment, torture, and execution of political dissidents, activists, and intellectuals. - The 2015 initiation of a military intervention in Yemen, which led to a humanitarian crisis. - The 2022 arrest of at least 10 sitting judges who were subsequently charged with high treason after reportedly signing confessions regarding their own judicial leniency. - Alleged past threats against a judge in a property dispute, for which he was reportedly nicknamed Father of the Bullet.