RIYADH – Saudi Arabia has detained thousands of people for years withouttrial, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Sunday, slamming the country’spowerful crown prince for the “arbitrary detentions”.

Official data from the Interior Ministry, analysed by the HRW, showed thatauthorities had detained 2,305 people for more than six months withoutreferring them to court.

More than 1,870 had been held for more than a year and 251 for more thanthree years with their cases still “under investigation,” HRW said, citingthe ministry database.

One person has been held for over a decade in what the HRW said was a caseof “documented arbitrary detention”.

The ultraconservative kingdom, an absolute monarchy, has introduced astring of reforms in past months, spearheaded by the country’s unchallengedCrown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, dubbed “MBS”, who was appointed heir tothe throne in June 2017.

Yet arbitrary detention appears to have “increased dramatically in recentyears”, according to the HRW. The group urged authorities to “stop holdingpeople arbitrarily”.