Saudi Arabia Frees American Pensioner Imprisoned Over Negative 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 bans and a day after Saudi crown prince and head of government met the former US president at the White House.
Judicial Proceedings Overview
Almadi, seventy-five, was sentenced to 19 years of imprisonment in the kingdom in 2021 after he posted 14 tweets critical of the Riyadh government. Two years later, the charges were reduced to termed "cyber crimes" and he was given a 30-year ban on leaving Saudi Arabia.
"Our family rejoices that, after four long years, our father, Saad Almadi, is finally on his way home to the United States!"
The announcement that Almadi, a dual citizen and former engineering professional who had lived in the US since the 1970s, would be allowed to depart the country came after the US president gave an address touting US-Saudi ties, including arms sales and investment deals.
Political Acknowledgments
"This day 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 security advisory board, as well as everyone at the foreign affairs office," 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 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 small number of American dual citizens facing exit bans from Saudi Arabia following a crackdown on digital criticism. His son has previously claimed that Almadi was coerced to sign papers giving up his US citizenship.
The case against Almadi centered on social media posts in which he was alleged to have urged Saudi citizens to seek Lebanese citizenship and faulted the kingdom's defenses against Houthi rocket strikes.
Additionally, he supported the renaming 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.
Khashoggi Case
US intelligence reports released by the Biden administration later concluded that the crown prince had authorized 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 denied any wrongdoing. 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".
International Efforts
US diplomatic efforts to free Almadi and allow him to come back to the US has been building 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 vowed to investigate. A few weeks later, one of his security advisors, Gorka, met the younger Almadi at the White House.
"President Trump is the president of deals and he enjoys working with the Saudis and we will win your father back," Johnson said.
