A member of the Saudi royal family has been arrested in Riyadh after videos of him abusing citizens were widely circulated online.
According to media reports, the arrest was ordered by Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, who issued an immediate warrant for Prince Saud bin Abdulaziz bin Musaed bin Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and his associates.
As per the king's orders, suspects are not to be released until a court ruling is issued.
"Look at the face of the vile criminal #Price_Abuses_Citizens"
In one of the videos that have been making the rounds on social media over the past couple of days, the Saudi prince is seen treating a middle-aged man in a violent and degrading manner, hitting him repeatedly and addressing him with expletive language.
"I swear I have not done anything," the victim says several times, as the prince kicks him in the face and strikes him aggressively. The victim is later seen with blood stains on his white garb.
Later in the video, someone - whose face does not show but is most likely the prince himself - holds a shotgun against a man who is seen bleeding from his head.
The videos caused an outcry on social media, with people calling for immediate action.
In response to the videos, Riyadh Police arrested Saud bin Abdulaziz, along with all those involved Thursday. The accused will not be released until the court hears the testimonies of the victims and violators and issues a verdict.
According to Arab News, the king's orders emphasized that the law must apply to everyone regardless of their social status.
Saudis are celebrating the news of his arrest and videos of what seems to be footage of his arrest have been leaked to social media.
"#Salman_TheStrict_Jails_ThePrince That's the face of the villain after he was arrested. Abu Fahd (King Salman) does not discriminate between a prince and a citizen, they are all equal. God give him strength."
Not the first time Saudi authorities take action against a royal
The kingdom isn't shying away from punishing members of the royal family.
In October 2016, Saudi Arabia executed a member of the royal family for the first time in nearly four decades after Prince Turki bin Saud al-Kabeer was convicted of shooting another Saudi citizen.
Soon after, another Saudi prince was flogged and sentenced to prison for an unidentified crime.