Saudi Arabia Releases Jailed US Man

Improve the News Foundation -

Facts

  • On Tuesday, Saudi Arabia released US-Saudi dual national Saad Ibrahim Almadi from prison, more than a year after he was arrested for tweets critical of the kingdom, according to his son. The 72-year-old was sentenced to 16 years in prison before an appeals court upped his sentence to 19 years last month.1
  • Almadi’s son said his father remains banned from traveling and is staying at his home in the Saudi capital of Riyadh. He added, “All charges have been dropped but we have to fight the travel ban now.”1
  • It’s unclear when Almadi can return to his Florida home, as neither US nor Saudi authorities have commented on his release.2
  • Saudi authorities arrested Almadi in November 2021 on several charges, including supporting terrorism, after he landed in Riyadh to visit family.1
  • Almadi’s tweets included one noting Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's consolidation of power in the kingdom, and another that spoke of journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s killing, which US intelligence believes was authorized by the Saudi crown prince.3
  • Almadi’s imprisonment was one of several alleged human rights abuses that had eroded relations between Salman and US Pres. Joe Biden. Both administrations have recently taken steps toward restoring better relations.3

Sources: 1Al Jazeera, 2 BBC News, and 3Associated Press.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by Amnesty International. Saudi Arabia’s imprisonment of Almadi was part of a pattern of human rights abuses by the government. Dozens of people have been prosecuted for their opinions in Saudi Arabia, and there must be global action to combat this systemic oppression. Riyadh's criminalization of dissent must end now.
  • Narrative B, as provided by The Freedom Initiative. Almadi’s release is a step in the right direction for human rights in Saudi Arabia. Almadi should never have been imprisoned, but it’s encouraging to see Saudi Arabia loosen up a little bit in the name of justice. With continued work, hopefully, Riyadh's record on human rights will improve along with better relations between the US and Saudi Arabia.