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A prominent Saudi prince has been released from prison, hinting that other high-ranking detainees will be released when the royal family tries to boost his reputation following the death of Jamal Khashoggi.
Khaled bin Talal al-Saud, a nephew of King Salman, returned home on Saturday in Riyadh, according to information published by his family on social networks.
His sister and niece have posted photos of him on Twitter, subtitled "Praise God for Your Safety," a phrase commonly used when someone returns.
Prince Khaled is a brother of billionaire investor Alwaleed bin Talal, who was temporarily detained during an anti-corruption purge launched by the government last year. These arrests were widely viewed as a political purge rather than an attempt to eradicate corruption in the kingdom. Prince Khaled was arrested during a second wave of arrests.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been under intense pressure since the murder of Khashoggi in Turkey during an operation allegedly carried out by some of his closest advisers, who have since been fired.
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Saudi Arabia is seeking to restore ties with its allies as the kingdom faces the worst foreign policy crisis since the attacks of 11 September 2001.
Prince Mohammed could release other royal men and businessmen who were arrested in the coming days, said a person informed of the family's thought.
The amnesty, added the person, could be extended to the religious and the militants detained under the more and more authoritarian regime of prince Mohammed.
"He is trying to strengthen the support of the family," said an observer in Riyadh.
The release of Prince Khaled came days after the return of Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz, his own brother, from his self-imposed exile in London, where he had criticized Riyadh's wrongful actions, including the war in Yemen.
Insiders say the movement within the ruling family is an attempt to install a more rigorous governance structure around Prince Mohammed, who has been consolidating power since his father stepped into the throne in 2015.
Turkish officials blamed Khashoggi's death on a group of Saudi officials. Riyadh initially denied any responsibility, but has since conducted its own investigation on the basis of evidence that the operation was premeditated, claiming that the alleged perpetrators would be brought to justice.
The government denied that Prince Mohammed was aware of the operation, but the proximity of the suspects with the Crown Prince's relatives raised questions about his guilt or, at best, his ignorance of the affairs of an uncontrollable royal court. .
Members of the royal family were exasperated by last year's purge, which broke decades of humiliating consensual government by high-ranking royal officials and powerful business magnates arrested at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel.
Dozens of princes, businessmen and ministers were released after paying money and assets to settle alleged financial charges to the government, but many still saw their freedom to severely restricted movement, including ordering them to wear an ankle tag.
Some were transferred to prison, where they could be tried. Others have been kept in secure homes while negotiations on their financial settlements continue.
