US citizen convicted in Saudi Arabia freed

Speaking to CNN, Almadi’s son, Ibrahim Almadi, who lives in the US, said his father was released from prison in Riyadh but is still under a travel ban preventing him from leaving the country.

İbrahim Almadi stated that his father will not be “completely free” until he comes to the US, and that the US or Saudi authorities have yet to officially confirm that his father has been released.

Almadi, 72, who has Saudi and US citizenship, was detained in Riyadh while visiting family in November 2021 for criticizing the Saudi Arabian government in some 14 posts he made on Twitter. He was tried in a Special Criminal Court and sentenced to 16 years in prison in October 2022.

Almadi, who lives in the US, was said to have sent tweets 7 years ago containing content such as criticism of the demolition of the old parts of the cities of Mecca and Jeddah and concerns about poverty in the kingdom. (AA)