MBS benefiting from Trump 'Silence,' says sister of jailed activist Loujain al-Hathloul

MBS has cemented his position with an iron fist, jailing human rights activists; imprisoning, torturing and extorting even the country's wealthiest and most powerful people; and waging a violent campaign against dissidents abroad, including the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

The White House has, however, stood by the crown prince, who is widely seen as the power behind his father King Salman's throne. President Donald Trump has publicly supported MBS and prioritized Riyadh's purchase of American weaponry and its support in Washington, D.C.'s efforts to contain Iran.

"I don't think it's a secret," Lina al Hathloul, sister of jailed activist Loujain al-Hathloul said, when asked if Trump had facilitated the kingdom's crackdown on dissidents. "MBS couldn't have done so much without the U.S. administration's silence," she added. 

Biden has promised to reassess America's ties with the "pariah" state. The president-elect said in October his administration would "end U.S. support for Saudi Arabia's war in Yemen, and make sure America does not check its values at the door to sell arms or buy oil."

Biden has also vowed to put democracy and human rights at the center of his foreign policy platform. Lina said this was encouraging and she hoped the next administration would put the fate of her sister and other activists front and center in its conversations with Riyadh.

"It's not possible to deal with a country that kills journalists and cut them into pieces, that tortures women in prisons, that abuses them sexually," Lina said.