WASHINGTON - Prominent Saudis held in what Riyadh dubbed an anti-corruption campaign were subjected to coercion and physical abuse, the New York Times reported Monday, describing fear and uncertainty even after their release.
The newspaper said at least 17 detainees were hospitalised after facing abuse, while a Saudi general later died in custody with what witnesses said appeared to be a broken neck.
Many of the 381 suspects, including princes, ministers and tycoons, remain under military surveillance and some have been forced to wear ankle bracelets that track their movements, the newspaper said. The revelations came ahead of a high-profile visit to the United States by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who orchestrated the crackdown in early November as he consolidates his grip on power.
Saudi officials did not immediately respond to AFP's request for comment, but the New York Times quoted the government rejecting the abuse claims as "completely untrue".
Officials have said they are in the process of recovering $107 billion (87 billion euros) seized in the crackdown, in the form of property, securities and cash, handed over by the suspects in exchange for their freedom.
The detainees included billionaire Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, former National Guard chief Prince Miteb bin Abdullah, construction magnate Bakr bin Laden and media mogul Waleed al-Ibrahim of the regional MBC cable network.
Some of those held at Riyadh's luxury Ritz-Carlton hotel were deprived of sleep, roughed up, interrogated with their heads covered and pressured to hand over large assets, the report said, citing relatives and associates of detainees.
Major General Ali al-Qahtani, a top aide to a son of the late King Abdullah, was among those held.
He later died in custody, his corpse bearing signs of torture, according to witnesses quoted by the newspaper.
Critics have labelled Prince Mohammed's campaign a shakedown and power grab, but authorities insist the purge targeted endemic corruption as the country prepares for a post-oil era.
The government on Sunday said Saudi King Salman had ordered the creation of specialised anti-corruption units in the public prosecutor's office to investigate and prosecute graft cases. Officials have not made public the charges against suspects detained at the Ritz-Carlton. Prince Mohammed is set to visit the US next week for the first time since becoming heir to the throne last June.
The tour is aimed partly at courting foreign investors.
Princes, ministers and billionaire business tycoons were among dozens of high-profile figures arrested or sacked after Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman consolidates power.
The purge comes amid heightened regional tensions, with Saudi Arabia and Iran facing off over a missile attack from Yemen and a political crisis in Lebanon after prime minister Saad Hariri's shock resignation announced from Riyadh. Reportedly, the potential scale of corrupt practices which have been uncovered is very large.
Authorities have frozen the bank accounts of the accused and warned that assets related to the alleged corruption cases would be seized as state property, as the government appears set to widen the crackdown. High-profile figures, including billionaire tycoon Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, were arrested or sacked in the crackdown -- just after an anti-graft commission headed by the crown prince was established.
Prince Mohammed, the son of 81-year-old King Salman, is already seen as the country's de facto ruler controlling all the major levers of government.
With the purge, which analysts describe as a bold but risky power play, the crown prince has centralised power to a degree that is unprecedented in recent Saudi history.
The crackdown comes as he moves to accelerate his Vision 2030 programme to modernise the conservative kingdom, but also as Riyadh takes a more aggressive stance in its wider region.
