On Dec. 5, a Saudi law professor was arrested at his Riyad home, Middle East Newsline reported. The
Human Rights First Society of Saudi Arabia identified the professor as
Mohammed Al Abdul Karim, an instructor at Imam Mohammed Bin Saud University,
deemed the most prominent Islamic institution of higher education in the
kingdom.
The human rights group said the 40-year-old professor was taken away by
four men without a warrant. On Nov. 23, Abdul Karim published an article on
a Web site that reported disputes within the Saudi royal family amid
Abdullah's illness.
"His arrest was illegal on two counts," Ibrahim Mugaiteeb, head of the
human rights group, said.
The Saudi-based royaah.net Web site, which published Abdul Karim's
analysis, has asserted that Saudi royal succession remained uncertain amid
the advanced age of its leadership. The
average age of the top princes, said to be 84, has fueled concern both in
the kingdom and abroad.
"The advanced age among the sons of [the late] King Abdul Aziz has
brought about the dramatic state of anxiety and uncertainty at home and
abroad regarding the
transition of power," the Web site said.
The Saudi royal court reported that Abdullah has already undergone two
operations at a New York hospital. Saudi officials said Abdullah was being
prepared for an undetermined period of physical therapy. Crown Prince Sultan
has also been hampered by cancer and dementia.
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