A senior aide in Saudi
Arabia has been fired by King Salman after a video emerged of said aide
appearing to slap a photojournalist emerged.
BBC reports that no
reason was given for the removal of Mohammed al-Tobayshi as head of royal
protocol in a decree published by the official SPA news agency however
television footage seemingly showed Tobayshi hitting the photographer while
King Salman greeted Morocco's King Mohammed at Riyadh airport on Sunday.
Following the posting
of the video online, many had accused Tobayshi of abusing his authority and his
subsequent sack was welcomed by Saudis on social media networks.
Last month, King Salman
banned a senior member of the royal family, Prince Mamdouh bin Abdul Rahman,
from taking part in all sports activities and speaking to the media after he
made remarks considered racist during a TV talk show.
This latest show of
support for protocol has been welcomed by journalist Abdullah al-Bergawi as he
told Gulf News:
"This is a great
day for journalists and media figures, removing the head of the royal protocol
in support of a journalist is a clear consolidation of the status of the media
and a victory for journalism. King Salman is again showing that no-one is above
the law and that all people, officials or not, are to be held responsible for
their words and deeds and for not respecting people's right to dignity."
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