The Kingdom Releases American Pensioner Jailed For Critical Tweets
Saudi Arabia has granted permission for US citizen Saad Almadi to come back to Florida, five months ahead of the planned removal of travel bans and a day after the kingdom's leader and prime minister met Donald Trump at the White House.
Legal Case Overview
Almadi, seventy-five, was sentenced to 19 years of incarceration in the kingdom in 2021 after he posted 14 tweets critical of the Riyadh government. Two years later, the allegations were modified to termed "cyber crimes" and he was sentenced to 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 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 promoting US-Saudi ties, including arms sales and financial agreements.
Diplomatic Recognition
"This day 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 security advisory board, as well as everyone at the state department," the statement continued.
The statement by Almadi's son, Ibrahim Almadi, also thanked various charitable groups, including the James Foley Fund and Hostages America, and House speaker Mike Johnson for supporting the elder Almadi's cause. He subsequently shared on social media that his father was traveling to the US.
Broader Context
Almadi is one of a small number of American dual citizens facing exit bans from Saudi Arabia following a clampdown on online dissent. His son has earlier stated that Almadi was coerced to sign papers giving up his US citizenship.
The legal proceedings involving Almadi centered 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.
More controversially, 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 released by the Biden administration later assessed that the crown prince had authorized of a plan to "capture or kill" Khashoggi.
Questioned regarding the killing, Trump said the crown prince "knew nothing" 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 investigate Khashoggi's death, which he called "distressing" and a "huge mistake".
International Efforts
US pressure to free Almadi and allow him to return to the US has been increasing since Trump's trip to Saudi Arabia in May. Many urged Trump's assertion that he is particularly effective in bringing back US citizens held overseas.
When asked by a reporter in May about the case, Trump said he wasn't aware 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.
