Saudi Arabia has forced a Florida retiree to try to renounce his American citizenship after jailing him over social media posts critical of the kingdom’s crown prince, according to the man’s son.
The 74-year-old retiree, Saad Almadi, is one of at least four dual Saudi-American nationals who accuse Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s government of pressuring them to give up their U.S. citizenship.
Almadi was arrested in 2021 and sentenced to more than 19 years in prison, but was released after a year and imposed an exit ban that keeps him from returning to his home in Boca Raton, Florida.
The Saudi Embassy in Washington has not responded to requests for comment, but the Saudi government does not recognize dual citizenship and regularly rejects criticism of its actions, saying they are part of a multi-year crackdown on corruption, terrorism, and other security threats.
The plight of Almadi and others could complicate U.S. efforts to turn the page on tensions arising from the 2018 killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, which the U.S. intelligence agencies concluded was authorized by the crown prince.
The U.S. has not condemned the treatment of Almadi and other dual nationals, and the State Department has said that Almadi remains a U.S. citizen and receives consular support.
Human rights activists say they know of at least three other dual U.S.-Saudi citizens who have been pushed to give up their U.S. citizenship, and that the cases are part of a broader crackdown on dissent in Saudi Arabia.
The issue is expected to be a test for the Biden administration, which has been working to repair relations with Saudi Arabia, and for President-elect Donald Trump, who has extensive business dealings with the kingdom.