Saudi court jails US citizen for 16 years over critical tweets - family

A US nationalist held successful Saudi Arabia has received a 16-year jailhouse condemnation for penning tweets captious of the government, his lad has told the BBC.

Saad Ibrahim Almadi, 72, who besides has Saudi citizenship, was arrested successful November aft helium travelled from Florida to Riyadh to spot his family.

His lad has present spoken retired for the archetypal clip publicly, going against what helium says has been US authoritative advice.

Ibrahim Almadi said helium did not privation to spot his begetter dice successful prison.

He alleged that Saad had been held successful conditions that amounted to torture since his apprehension by Saudi authorities.

The Saudi tribunal that issued the situation condemnation recovered him blameworthy of trying to destabilise the kingdom and of supporting and backing terrorism.

Ibrahim says the lone grounds yet presented to the tribunal consisted of 14 tweets.

The tweets, which the BBC has seen, see disapproval of the demolition of aged parts of the cities of Mecca and Jeddah, interest implicit poorness successful the kingdom, and a notation to the murdered Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi.

Saad was besides recovered blameworthy of not reporting coercion implicit tweets that Ibrahim had posted connected a abstracted account, according to his son.

Prosecutors wanted to condemnation him to the maximum of 42 years successful jail, helium said. Two weeks ago, helium was sentenced to 16 years successful situation and a consequent 16-year question ban, helium added.

Although Ibrahim has not been capable to talk to his begetter since helium was arrested, household members successful Saudi Arabia person said they person been fixed entree to Saad and that helium told them that helium was fine.

Ibrahim expressed his scepticism implicit this to the BBC.

He besides criticised what helium sees arsenic deficiency of enactment implicit his father's lawsuit by the US government. He said that lone 2 meetings had been conducted with his begetter by US officials successful Saudi Arabia during his detention - the archetypal came a afloat six months aft helium was arrested.

Ibrahim besides alleged that his efforts to interaction the White House straight had been rebuffed.

He archetypal revealed his father's communicative to the BBC erstwhile President Joe Biden travelled to Saudi Arabia successful July. The sojourn confirmed that de facto Saudi ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had been welcomed backmost into the fold of satellite leaders, astir 4 years aft the sidesplitting of Jamal Khashoggi tarnished his image.

Ibrahim did not spell nationalist with Saad's sanction oregon the details of his lawsuit astatine that time. But present helium has decided to bash so.

He told the BBC that helium believes determination are treble standards implicit Saudi Arabia, saying the US would instrumentality steadfast enactment if a national were detained successful Russia oregon Iran. "But if you're held successful Saudi Arabia, a tube of lipid is worthy much than you, habibi," helium said.

A root astatine the US authorities section told the BBC erstwhile asked astir Saad's lawsuit during President Biden's travel to Saudi Arabia that it had nary higher work than protecting US citizens abroad, but that it could not remark further.

A elder State Department authoritative has present told the Washington Post that the Biden medication has raised Saad's lawsuit with the Saudi authorities astatine elder levels. But Ibrahim accused US officials of showing nary empathy oregon sympathy towards his father.

A Saudi commentator and advisor to the government, Ali Shihabi, responded to Saad's situation condemnation by saying that the kingdom was undergoing a "tricky transition" arsenic it imposed alteration connected a precise polarised society.

"This is simply a precise imperfect process and prosecutor/judicial overreach is happening," helium said. "Such missteps (own goals) person to beryllium balanced successful fairness with the alternate authoritative fearfulness which is civilian strife."

The condemnation meted retired to Saad is the latest successful a bid of utmost punishments precocious issued by Saudi courts to radical implicit what they person said connected societal media.

Nourah al-Qatani, a parent of 5 children, was fixed 45 years successful situation connected charges of "using the net to teardrop the country's societal fabric" implicit anonymous tweets that she had posted.

Salma al-Shehab, a parent of 2 studying astatine Leeds University successful the UK, was arrested portion connected vacation successful Saudi Arabia. She was recovered blameworthy of "providing succour to those seeking to disrupt nationalist order" and publishing "false rumours" - among different charges.

Ms Shehab was primitively sentenced to six years successful prison. On appeal, that was raised to 34 years.

Ibrahim said an entreaty was imaginable successful his father's case, but that the illustration of Ms Shehab made him fearful of what mightiness happen.

"Things mightiness lone get worse," helium said.