Saudi Arabia Releases American Retiree Imprisoned Over Negative Social Media Posts
The Kingdom has granted permission for US citizen Saad Almadi to come back to Florida, five months ahead of the scheduled lifting of travel bans and a day after the kingdom's leader and prime minister met the former US president at the White House.
Legal Case Overview
Almadi, seventy-five, was given 19 years of incarceration in the kingdom in 2021 after he posted 14 tweets opposing the Riyadh government. After 24 months, the charges were reduced to so-called "cyber crimes" and he was given a 30-year ban on departing from Saudi Arabia.
"We are thrilled that, after four long years, our father, Saad Almadi, is at last on his way home to the United States!"
The announcement that Almadi, a dual citizen and retired engineer who had resided in the US since the 1970s, would be allowed to depart the country came after the US president delivered a speech touting US-Saudi ties, including arms sales and investment deals.
Diplomatic Recognition
"This moment would not have been possible without President Donald Trump and the tireless efforts of his administration. We are extremely thankful to Dr Sebastian Gorka and the team at the national security council, as well as everyone at the state department," it added.
The statement 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 older Almadi's cause. He subsequently shared on social media that his father was traveling to the US.
Broader Context
Almadi is one of a handful of American people with dual nationality 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 alleged to have 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 killed in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018.
Related Incident
US intelligence reports released by the Biden administration later assessed that the crown prince had approved of a plan to "detain or eliminate" 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 "did all the right things" to examine Khashoggi's death, which he called "distressing" and a "major error".
Diplomatic Pressure
US diplomatic efforts to free Almadi and allow him to come back to the US has been increasing since Trump's trip to Saudi Arabia in May. Many urged Trump's claim that he is uniquely successful in bringing back US citizens held overseas.
When questioned by journalists in May about the case, Trump said he didn't know about it but promised to take a look. A few weeks later, one of his national security aides, Gorka, met the younger Almadi at the White House.
"President Trump is the president of deals and he loves to do business with the Saudis and we will win your father back," Johnson said.
