RIYADH: The case against detained Qatari royal Sheikh Talal Al-Thani has been fabricated by the authorities in Doha, a fellow royal family member said Sunday.
The wife of Sheikh Talal said last week her husband is being tortured in custody and that his condition is deteriorating.
Sheikh Talal is the grandson of the late Sheikh Ahmad bin Ali Al-Thani, the former emir of Qatar, who was deposed in 1972 by his cousin Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad, the grandfather of the current emir. He was jailed in 2013.
Speaking during a telephone interview with Al Arabiya, Sheikh Saud bin Jassim said the Qatari authorities fabricate charges “against anyone who opposes them.”
He said there were “great concerns” over Sheikh Talal’s health.
Sheikh Talal’s wife, Asma Arian, posted a video on her Twitter account on Wednesday raising concerns over her husband’s health.
“Sheikh Talal has been imprisoned in extremely harsh conditions and in violation of his fundamental human rights,” she said. 
“The mistreatment to which he has been subjected has put his life in serious danger. It has also forcibly separated his younger children and myself.”
She also said the Qatari authorities prevented his family from communicating with him.
She said he has not been properly charged, although he has been detained for seven years, and he has not been given the option of a “fair” trial.