US Retiree Released from Saudi Arabia Jails After Trump Meets Crown Prince
In a move that has sent shockwaves through diplomatic circles, Saudi Arabia has agreed to allow US citizen Saad Almadi, 75, to return home to Florida, five months ahead of the scheduled lifting of travel restrictions. The decision comes just one day after President Donald Trump met with Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman at the White House.
Almadi was sentenced to 19 years in prison in 2021 for writing critical tweets about the Riyadh government. However, two years later, his charges were reduced to "cyber crimes" and he was given a 30-year ban on leaving Saudi Arabia. The move has been widely seen as an attempt by Trump to secure Almadi's release in exchange for improved US-Saudi ties.
The case against Almadi centered on his social media posts urging Saudi citizens to seek Lebanese citizenship and criticizing the kingdom's defenses against Houthi rocket strikes. However, some have questioned whether Almadi was pressured into signing papers renouncing his US citizenship.
Trump has long been known for his ability to secure the release of American hostages and detainees held overseas, with many hailing him as a champion of US interests abroad. The release of Almadi is seen as a major success for Trump, who met with bin Salman at the White House earlier this week.
The announcement comes after weeks of pressure from US officials and advocacy groups, including non-profits such as the James Foley Fund and Hostages America. The case has also drawn attention due to its implications for online free speech and dissent in Saudi Arabia.
Almadi's family has expressed gratitude to Trump and his administration, thanking them for their efforts to secure his release. However, some have raised concerns that the move may set a troubling precedent for US-Saudi relations.
In a move that has sent shockwaves through diplomatic circles, Saudi Arabia has agreed to allow US citizen Saad Almadi, 75, to return home to Florida, five months ahead of the scheduled lifting of travel restrictions. The decision comes just one day after President Donald Trump met with Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman at the White House.
Almadi was sentenced to 19 years in prison in 2021 for writing critical tweets about the Riyadh government. However, two years later, his charges were reduced to "cyber crimes" and he was given a 30-year ban on leaving Saudi Arabia. The move has been widely seen as an attempt by Trump to secure Almadi's release in exchange for improved US-Saudi ties.
The case against Almadi centered on his social media posts urging Saudi citizens to seek Lebanese citizenship and criticizing the kingdom's defenses against Houthi rocket strikes. However, some have questioned whether Almadi was pressured into signing papers renouncing his US citizenship.
Trump has long been known for his ability to secure the release of American hostages and detainees held overseas, with many hailing him as a champion of US interests abroad. The release of Almadi is seen as a major success for Trump, who met with bin Salman at the White House earlier this week.
The announcement comes after weeks of pressure from US officials and advocacy groups, including non-profits such as the James Foley Fund and Hostages America. The case has also drawn attention due to its implications for online free speech and dissent in Saudi Arabia.
Almadi's family has expressed gratitude to Trump and his administration, thanking them for their efforts to secure his release. However, some have raised concerns that the move may set a troubling precedent for US-Saudi relations.
! So there was this guy Saad Almadi who got locked up in Saudi Arabia like 5 months ago and was supposed to stay there till next year lol what a relief that he's finally free now 
He was basically imprisoned for just writing some stuff on Twitter that wasn't super nice about the Saudi government... I mean i get it we should be able to say what we think online but still its not cool when they lock you up 
Anyway Trump somehow managed to talk his way into getting him released and now Almadi is heading back to Florida yay! 
But some ppl are worried that this might set a bad precedent for online freedom of speech... I'm just here for the fact that he's going home safely though 
? I'm all for improved relations and all, but 19 years in prison? That's some serious drama 
. And what about his family, you know? They've been through so much too...it's gotta be tough to finally get him back home 
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. I mean, Trump just kinda gets people released from Saudi prisons and suddenly everyone's like "oh yeah, he's a hero" 
. Like, what's up with that? Is it really about securing good US-Saudi ties or is it just Trump trying to look cool again 
? And what's the deal with Almadi's case anyway? Was he really forced to renounce his citizenship? 
. Anyway, I guess this is just another example of how powerful Trump thinks he is 
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. Let's hope this move doesn't set a precedent for US-Saudi relations going forward... 
, but I mean what's with all these diplomatic moves? Like, can't they just figure this stuff out on their own? And now there's talk about whether Almadi was pressured into giving up his US citizenship... that's a whole other can of worms 
just heard about Saad Almadi bein released from saudi jail 5 months early after trump met with crown prince... sounds like a pretty shady deal if u ask me 
don't wanna see more americans gettin pressured into signin away their citizenships 
just another example of how easily power can be bought and sold 
, but let's be real, 19 years is a looong time to be in the bin, even for the 'gram police 
. I guess it's all good news, but now we just gotta wonder if Almadi renounced his US citizenship or not - is that a deal-breaker? 
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. Five months early release is definitely a big win. But at the same time, there are some red flags here... like how he was reduced from 19 years to just 30 years on the condition of renouncing his US citizenship 
back in my day, we used to joke about going to jail for saying something bad online... now it's become a real thing. And the fact that Trump had to step in and meet with the Crown Prince just to get him released is pretty wild too. I'm not saying it wasn't necessary or anything, but come on! 
. And what about the precedent? Is this gonna set a bad trend for US citizens traveling abroad and saying something they shouldn't be saying online? 