Saudi prince hails confined princesses

A Saudi prince expressed solidarity with the daughters of Saudi King Abdullah who are under house arrest in the city of Jeddah. In a post on his Facebook page, Prince Khalid Bin Farhan al-Saud praised Princess Sahar and her three sisters for their support for the uprising by "the oppressed people of the city of Qatif" in Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, press tv reported. Prince Farhan defected from the royal family in July 2013, saying that the Saudi regime "does not stand by God’s rules". His remarks came only days after the 42-year-old princess called on people in the kingdom to continue their anti-regime demonstrations. "Greetings to martyrs and to free men in jail. It is an honor for me to learn the meaning of freedom, rights and dignity from you revolutionary people," she said in a video message posted on YouTube. "We promise to follow in your footsteps and not to let go of your hands," she also said. Sahar, Maha, Hala and Jawaher Al Saud are the daughters of Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, who are reportedly being confined in a royal compound. Protests against the Al Saud family have intensified since November 2011, when security forces opened fire on protesters in Qatif in Eastern Province, killing five people and leaving scores more injured. Activists say there are over 30,000 political prisoners in Saudi Arabia.