Saudi Controversy: American Retiree Pressured to Renounce Citizenship

Saad Almadi, a 74-year-old dual Saudi-American national, has been pressured by Saudi Arabia to relinquish his American citizenship after criticizing Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on social media. Almadi, jailed for over a year, faces an exit ban despite being freed, highlighting complex US-Saudi relations.

Saudi Arabia is under scrutiny for pressuring a Florida retiree and dual citizen, Saad Almadi, to renounce his American nationality. This move follows his criticism of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on social media and highlights ongoing tensions in US-Saudi relations.

Almadi, who was arrested during a 2021 visit to Saudi Arabia, faced terrorism-related charges over his tweets, including one about the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Although released after over a year, he is barred from leaving the kingdom, illustrating the kingdom's intolerance for criticism.

The US State Department continues to support Almadi, emphasizing the complexity of engaging an ally over human rights concerns. Almadi's son, advocating for his father from Washington, expresses frustration over the perceived inaction from US authorities as diplomatic relations between the nations evolve.

(With inputs from agencies.)