US Retiree Freed After Years in Saudi Prison Over Critical Tweets
A US citizen, Saad Almadi, 75, who was imprisoned in Saudi Arabia for five months, is finally free to return home to Florida. The decision comes just a day after the country's crown prince and prime minister, Mohammed bin Salman, met with President Donald Trump at the White House.
Almadi, a retired engineer and dual citizen of the US and Saudi Arabia, was arrested in 2021 for writing 14 tweets critical of the Riyadh government. He was initially sentenced to 19 years in prison but had his charges reduced to "cyber crimes" two years later, with a 30-year ban on leaving the country imposed upon him.
The announcement of Almadi's release is seen as a positive development for US-Saudi relations, which have been strengthened during Trump's visit. The US president recently highlighted arms sales and investment deals between the two nations in a speech at the White House.
Almadi's family expressed gratitude to President Trump and his administration for their efforts in securing his release. They also thanked various non-profit organizations and lawmakers, including House speaker Mike Johnson, who supported Almadi's cause.
The case against Almadi highlighted concerns over Saudi Arabia's treatment of American dual citizens facing exit bans following a crackdown on online dissent. Almadi's son claimed that he was pressured to renounce his US citizenship before the deal.
Critics have pointed out the inconsistencies in Trump's previous statements about the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was assassinated in 2018. The crown prince has denied any wrongdoing in Khashoggi's death but intelligence reports suggest he may have been involved.
Trump recently stated that the crown prince "knew nothing" of Khashoggi's murder. However, Trump's administration faced criticism for not taking stronger action against Saudi Arabia over the journalist's killing.
The decision to release Almadi marks a shift in US policy on Saudi relations, with many expressing hope that it will lead to greater transparency and accountability from the kingdom.
A US citizen, Saad Almadi, 75, who was imprisoned in Saudi Arabia for five months, is finally free to return home to Florida. The decision comes just a day after the country's crown prince and prime minister, Mohammed bin Salman, met with President Donald Trump at the White House.
Almadi, a retired engineer and dual citizen of the US and Saudi Arabia, was arrested in 2021 for writing 14 tweets critical of the Riyadh government. He was initially sentenced to 19 years in prison but had his charges reduced to "cyber crimes" two years later, with a 30-year ban on leaving the country imposed upon him.
The announcement of Almadi's release is seen as a positive development for US-Saudi relations, which have been strengthened during Trump's visit. The US president recently highlighted arms sales and investment deals between the two nations in a speech at the White House.
Almadi's family expressed gratitude to President Trump and his administration for their efforts in securing his release. They also thanked various non-profit organizations and lawmakers, including House speaker Mike Johnson, who supported Almadi's cause.
The case against Almadi highlighted concerns over Saudi Arabia's treatment of American dual citizens facing exit bans following a crackdown on online dissent. Almadi's son claimed that he was pressured to renounce his US citizenship before the deal.
Critics have pointed out the inconsistencies in Trump's previous statements about the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was assassinated in 2018. The crown prince has denied any wrongdoing in Khashoggi's death but intelligence reports suggest he may have been involved.
Trump recently stated that the crown prince "knew nothing" of Khashoggi's murder. However, Trump's administration faced criticism for not taking stronger action against Saudi Arabia over the journalist's killing.
The decision to release Almadi marks a shift in US policy on Saudi relations, with many expressing hope that it will lead to greater transparency and accountability from the kingdom.
. A guy gets arrested for 5 months over some tweets he wrote about the government? That's not exactly freedom of speech, is it? 
I mean, I get that Saudi Arabia has its own laws and all, but 19 years in prison seems a bit extreme even by any country's standards. 
. I'm not saying Trump or anyone else is directly responsible, but this case does raise some concerns about human rights and the treatment of dual citizens in Saudi Arabia.
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This is like super good news for Saad Almadi fam, he was stuck in Saudi Arabia for ages just cuz of what he tweeted 
... anyone else think its kinda weird how he had to give up his US citizenship tho? 30 years ban on leaving the country sounds like a total nightmare 
, he must have been totally freaked out being stuck in that prison for so long 
. And now he's finally free to go back home to his family and friends in Florida 
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, it's about time someone did something about those human rights issues in Saudi Arabia 
. The fact that his son had to renounce his citizenship is just crazy 
... like what even is the point of having a citizenship if you can't use it when you need it? 
. Will there be more transparency and accountability from the kingdom, or is this just some kind of PR stunt to make everyone happy 
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his family is relieved but many ppl still think its a deal that got made under pressure 
the whole thing is super suspicious tbh 
it's good to see he's finally free to go back home to florida 
but at the same time, i'm thinking about jamal khashoggi and all the controversies surrounding the crown prince... what's going on with that guy? 
. I wish we could see more transparency from Saudi Arabia, you know? It would be a big step forward for human rights and all that 
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. The devil's in the details, after all 
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. I'm not saying it's bad that Almadi is free or anything, but it does feel like there's more going on behind the scenes than we know about