Saudi prince convicted of killing gay lover in London hotel

Prince Saud bin Abdulaziz bin Nasir al Saud was sentenced to at least 20 years in prison for beating his servant to death.

The prince spent much of his trial trying to cover up the fact that he was gay. Homosexuality is a mortal sin under Islamic Sharia law and is sometimes punishable by death in Saudi Arabia. The prosecutors gave evidence that the prince was the aggressor in an abusive relationship with Bandar Abdulaziz, the servant found dead in al Saud's bed at the Landmark Hotel in February. Naked pictures of Abdulaziz were found on the prince’s phone. Analysts say that after serving his jail time in the U.K., he could win a stay against deportation because his life may now be in danger if he returns to Saudi Arabia. There are about 2,000 princes in the Saudi kingdom.