The Kingdom Releases US Pensioner Imprisoned Over Critical Social Media Posts
The Kingdom has agreed to allow US citizen Saad Almadi to come back to Florida, well before of the scheduled lifting of travel restrictions and a day after Saudi crown prince and head of government met Donald Trump at the White House.
Judicial Proceedings Overview
Almadi, 75, was given 19 years of incarceration in the kingdom in 2021 after he wrote 14 tweets critical of the Riyadh government. After 24 months, the allegations were modified to so-called "cyber crimes" and he was given a 30-year ban on departing from Saudi Arabia.
"Our family is overjoyed that, after four long years, our father, Saad Almadi, is finally on his way home to the United States!"
The declaration that Almadi, a person with dual nationality and retired engineer who had lived in the US since the 1970s, would be free to leave the country came after the US president gave an address touting US-Saudi ties, including weapons deals and investment deals.
Political Recognition
"This moment would not have been possible without President Donald Trump and the persistent work of his administration. We are deeply grateful to Dr Sebastian Gorka and the team at the national security council, as well as everyone at the state department," it added.
The declaration by Almadi's son, Ibrahim Almadi, also expressed gratitude to various non-profit organizations, including the James Foley Fund and Hostages America, and House speaker Mike Johnson for backing the elder Almadi's cause. He subsequently shared on social media that his father was traveling to the US.
Wider Implications
Almadi is one of a small number of American dual citizens facing exit bans from Saudi Arabia following a clampdown on digital criticism. His son has earlier stated that Almadi was pressured to sign papers renouncing his US citizenship.
The legal proceedings involving Almadi focused on social media posts in which he was accused of urged Saudi citizens to seek Lebanese citizenship and criticized the kingdom's defenses against Houthi rocket strikes.
Additionally, he supported the rededication of a street in the US capital after Jamal Khashoggi, the journalist and Washington Post columnist murdered in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018.
Related Incident
US intelligence reports published by the Biden administration later assessed that the crown prince had approved of a plan to "capture or kill" Khashoggi.
Questioned regarding the killing, Trump said the crown prince "was unaware" of Khashoggi's killing. The Saudi crown prince has maintained his innocence. He said at the White House that Saudi Arabia "took appropriate measures" to examine Khashoggi's death, which he called "painful" and a "major error".
Diplomatic Pressure
US diplomatic efforts to free Almadi and allow him to return to the US has been increasing since Trump's trip to Saudi Arabia in May. Many appealed to Trump's assertion that he is uniquely successful in repatriating US citizens detained overseas.
When questioned by journalists in May about the case, Trump said he wasn't aware about it but vowed to take a look. A few weeks later, one of his national security aides, Gorka, met the son at the White House.
"President Trump is the master negotiator and he loves to do business with the Saudis and we will win your father back," Johnson said.