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Saudi Arabia has permitted US citizen Saad Almadi to return home to Florida, five months ahead of the planned removal of travel bans and a day after Saudi crown prince and prime minister met the former US president at the White House.

Judicial Proceedings Overview

Almadi, seventy-five, was sentenced to 19 years of incarceration in the kingdom in 2021 after he wrote 14 tweets opposing the Riyadh government. After 24 months, the charges were reduced to so-called "cyber crimes" and he was sentenced to a 30-year ban on departing from Saudi Arabia.

"Our family rejoices that, after four long years, our father, Saad Almadi, is finally on his way home to the United States!"

The declaration that Almadi, a dual citizen and retired engineer who had resided in the US since the 1970s, would be free to leave the country came after the US president delivered a speech promoting US-Saudi ties, including weapons deals and investment deals.

Political Recognition

"This moment would not have been possible without President Donald Trump and the tireless efforts of his administration. We are extremely thankful to Dr Sebastian Gorka and the team at the national security council, as well as everyone at the foreign affairs office," it added.

The statement by Almadi's son, Ibrahim Almadi, also thanked various charitable groups, including the James Foley Fund and Hostages America, and House speaker Mike Johnson for supporting the elder Almadi's cause. He subsequently shared on social media that his father was on his way to the US.

Broader Context

Almadi is one of a handful of American people with dual nationality facing exit bans from Saudi Arabia following a crackdown on online dissent. His son has previously claimed that Almadi was pressured to sign papers renouncing his US citizenship.

The legal proceedings involving Almadi centered on social media posts in which he was accused of urged Saudi citizens to seek Lebanese citizenship and faulted the kingdom's defenses against Houthi rocket strikes.

Additionally, he expressed approval for the renaming of a street in the US capital after Jamal Khashoggi, the journalist and Washington Post columnist killed in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018.

Related Incident

US intelligence reports released by the Biden administration later assessed that the crown prince had approved of a plan to "capture or kill" Khashoggi.

Questioned regarding the killing, Trump said the crown prince "knew nothing" of Khashoggi's killing. The Saudi crown prince has maintained his innocence. He said at the White House that Saudi Arabia "did all the right things" to examine Khashoggi's death, which he called "distressing" and a "major error".

Diplomatic Pressure

US diplomatic efforts to release Almadi and allow him to return to the US has been increasing since Trump's trip to Saudi Arabia in May. Many urged Trump's claim that he is uniquely successful in repatriating US citizens detained overseas.

When asked by a reporter in May about the case, Trump said he wasn't aware about it but promised to investigate. A few weeks later, one of his national security aides, Gorka, met the son at the White House.

"President Trump is the master negotiator and he enjoys working with the Saudis and we will win your father back," Johnson said.