France issues arrest warrant for Saudi princess

An arrest warrant for Princess Hassa bint Salman of the House of Saud has been issued in France over allegedly ordering her bodyguard to assault a man in her employment at her Paris apartment.

Sources close to the case confirmed to AFP on Thursday that a warrant had been issued for the princess, daughter of Saudi Arabia’s King Salman and half-sister of powerful Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman.

The case was initially reported in Le Point magazine.

The plaintiff, who has not been named, alleges he was carrying out refurbishment and decoration work at Princess Hassa’s luxury apartment on Avenue Foch in September 2016.

He says he took a photograph of the room he was working on, which led the princess to accuse him of taking pictures with the intent to sell them to media. He alleges she then ordered a bodyguard to assault him, saying he was punched in the face, his hands were tied and he was then forced to kiss the princess’s feet.

He left the apartment several hours later without his tools, which were confiscated by the pair.

Princess Hassa’s bodyguard was charged in October 2016 with armed violence, theft, issuing death threats and holding someone against their will. The royal’s warrant was issued in December 2017.

The 43-year-old princess is believed to have left France shortly after the incident, according to The Sun.