Caught in Controversy: The Saga of Saad Almadi

A 75-year-old Florida retiree, Saad Almadi, has been convicted of cybercrimes in Saudi Arabia due to social media posts that were critical of the kingdom's crown prince. His sentence, confirmed in a September 14 ruling, prevents him from leaving the country until March, following over a year in detention since his 2021 arrest.

This legal decision emerged as Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attempts to reestablish diplomatic ties strained by a U.S. intelligence report implicating him in the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Almadi's son, Ibrahim, suggests the ruling aims to silence families of American citizens facing similar exit bans amid these diplomatic efforts.

Almadi, who immigrated to the U.S. in the 1970s, was detained for tweets criticising the crown prince's power consolidation. Saudi authorities dropped terrorism charges but maintain an exit ban, withholding his return to the U.S. The case highlights complex U.S.-Saudi relations, with reported pressure on Almadi to renounce his U.S. citizenship.

(With inputs from agencies.)