WASHINGTON D.C. — Saudi authorities should immediately quash a new sentence against U.S. citizen Saad Almadi and lift his unjust travel ban that is preventing him from returning to the United States, the Middle East Democracy Center (MEDC) said today. 

Saad Almadi, a 75 year old father and U.S. citizen from Florida has been trapped in Saudi Arabia for more than four years. In November 2021, he traveled to Saudi Arabia to visit family and was arrested over 14 tweets critical of the Saudi government that he posted while on U.S. soil over the span of seven years. In October 2022, he was sentenced to 16 years in prison by Saudi Arabia’s Specialized Criminal Court (SCC), which was later increased to 19 years in prison. 

In March 2023, following sustained international pressure, he was cleared of all charges and released from prison. However, he has remained trapped in the country under an arbitrary travel ban. Almadi suffers from age-related health issues and has been unable to receive the critical medical care he needs in the United States. 

On September 7, Almadi was summoned to appear again in front of the SCC. However, upon his arrival for the scheduled hearing on September 9, the court ruled that it did not have jurisdiction over his case and referred him to the general criminal court.

Five days later, on September 14, Almadi appeared before the criminal court, where he was sentenced during the same hearing. According to court documents obtained by MEDC, Almadi was sentenced to three years in prison. The charges were brought under Saudi Arabia’s Anti-Cybercrime Law, not the country’s Counterterrorism Law which he was previously charged under, officially reversing the prior sentence of 19 years.

The court ruled that the remainder of the prison sentence would not be enforced, citing his age. He was also handed a three-year travel ban, to take effect upon his release. The ban is set to expire in March 2026.

In January 2025, Almadi was pressured by the Saudi authorities to give up his American citizenship, apparently to end the U.S. pressure on his case.

Since returning to office, the Trump administration has vowed to prioritize Americans in U.S. foreign policy and touted its ability to bring Americans wrongfully detained abroad home. Almadi is a registered Republican and his son, Ibrahim, has tirelessly advocated on his father’s behalf, meeting with Trump administration officials to urge them to bring home his father.

“Why is an American father who was arrested over innocuous tweets still trapped in Saudi Arabia while President Trump cozies up to MBS? If the Trump administration is serious about putting Americans first, Saad Almadi would be home with his family in Florida,” said Abdullah Alaoudh, senior director of countering authoritarianism at MEDC. “It’s time for the Trump administration to make good on their promises and bring Saad Almadi home so he can reunite with his family and get the medical care he needs.”

 

Photo: Saad Almadi (right) with his sone Ibrahim. Credit: Courtesy of Ibrahim Almadi