Princess Hassa Bint Salman, daughter of King Salman from Saudi Arabia, on Thursday, July 9, 2019, underwent a trial in absentia in Paris, France on charges of mistreatment of a worker.
Princess Hassa Bint Salman is the half-brother of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Both are children of King Salman but different mothers.
Hassa's daughter allegedly ordered a bodyguard to persecute an Egyptian worker named Ashraf Eid who worked in his family apartment on Avenue Foch, Paris in September 2016. The action was taken because Eid allegedly took a photo of Hassa Princess secretly using her cellphone.
Eid admitted that his hands were tied up and kicked and beaten by Princess Hassa's guard. He was forced to kiss Princess Hassa's feet. Eid also claimed to be treated like a dog and said 'You will learn how to talk to a princess, how to speak to members of the kingdom.'
Eid said in an interview with Le Point magazine that Hassa's daughter Bint Salman shouted "Kill her, the dog, she doesn't deserve to live".
This incident triggered the issuance of an international arrest order for Princess Hassa bint Salman in November 2017. Meanwhile the guardian of the daughter Hassa bint Salman was charged with carrying out armed violence, theft, issuing death threats and detaining someone against her will.
But the accusation was rejected by Princess Hassa bint Salman and her French lawyer, Emmanuel Moyne.
"Princess Hassa bint Salman is a caring, humble, approachable and cultured woman. Saudi law forbids taking any pictures from the princess," Moyne was quoted as saying by Al Jazeera, Wednesday, July 10, 2019.
Meanwhile, the lawyer for the guardian of Princess Hassa bint Salman, who was involved in the case, also rejected this charge. The lawyer said King Salman's daughter had never ordered her to commit acts of violence against other people.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia did not want to comment on the case that involved daughter Hassa bint Salman.
This incident reminded the public of cases involving members of the Royal Saudi Arabia family who were in trouble with law in France. Earlier in 2013, a court in France ordered the seizure of assets belonging to Princess Maha al-Sudairi due to a hotel bill of 6.7 million US dollars in arrears, or around Rp. 94.7 billion.