Key takeaways:
- Saad Ibrahim Almadi, a 72-year-old dual U.S.-Saudi national and retired project manager, was released after all charges against him were dropped.
- Almadi’s son, Ibrahim Almadi, said his father is now at home with family members in Riyadh, but a travel ban preventing Almadi from returning to the United States is still in place.
- The case has drawn attention to the kingdom’s strict laws on freedom of expression, and it is unclear what prompted the Saudi government to drop the charges against Almadi.
An American citizen who had been imprisoned in Saudi Arabia for more than a year over tweets critical of the Saudi crown prince has been released and is now with family members in Riyadh.
Saad Ibrahim Almadi, a 72-year-old dual U.S.-Saudi national and retired project manager who had been living in Florida, was freed after all charges against him were dropped. Almadi had been sentenced to 19 years in prison.
Almadi’s son, Ibrahim Almadi, told NBC News that his father was now at home with family members who live in Riyadh, the Saudi capital. However, it is not yet known whether the kingdom will maintain a travel ban that had been imposed, preventing Almadi from returning to the United States.
Ibrahim Almadi expressed concern for his father’s health, saying that he considers the United States home, not Saudi Arabia. He added that he hopes his father will be able to return home to Florida soon.
The case has drawn attention to the kingdom’s strict laws on freedom of expression, which have been criticized by human rights groups. It is unclear what prompted the Saudi government to drop the charges against Almadi.
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