The authorities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) have released an Iraqi university professor who was detained for paying tribute to assassinated Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh during his Umrah pilgrimage.
Iraqi citizen, identified as Salman Dawood al-Sabawi, was detained on Monday, August 5, in the city of Makkah.
The Prisoners of Conscience, confirmed the authenticity of the news on X, saying, “Confirmed that the Saudi authorities arrested the Iraqi academic Salman Dawood al-Sabawi after he raised a sign in front of the Kaaba in Makkah, confirming that he performed Umrah on behalf of Ismail Haniyeh.”
The post featured a photo of Sabawi holding a banner at the Grand Mosque courtyard, stating “I dedicate his Umrah to martyred Ismail Haniyeh” in Arabic.
“Saudi authorities have released the Iraqi academic Salman Dawood al-Sabawi after a two-week detention,” the Prisoners of Conscience wrote in a post on X on Thursday, August 15.
On July 31, Haniyeh and his bodyguard were killed in an attack in Tehran while attending the swearing-in ceremony of Iran’s new President, Masoud Pezeshkian.
