The Kaaba at the center of the courtyard of the al-Haram mosque (al-Masjid al-Haram) in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. (Credit: Lokman Akkaya /Anadolu. AFP)
Amr Abdelfattah traveled to Saudi Arabia in June 2024 to perform the pilgrimage to Mecca. More than two years later, the 41-year-old French-Egyptian IT engineer and researcher at Sorbonne University is still being held in Dahaban Prison, near Jeddah. In August, an anti-terrorism court sentenced him for "insulting the government."Amr was initially arrested over a minor offense. After falling victim to a scam, he ended up with a fraudulent permit that was supposedly meant to give him access to the holy site. Such cases are relatively common, as the kingdom welcomes nearly two million pilgrims each year. The offense is typically punishable by a fine and expulsion from the country.But the case escalated after Amr, angry at being arrested, raised his voice at the police officer. He was then taken away in a police van. “I waited for...
Amr Abdelfattah traveled to Saudi Arabia in June 2024 to perform the pilgrimage to Mecca. More than two years later, the 41-year-old French-Egyptian IT engineer and researcher at Sorbonne University is still being held in Dahaban Prison, near Jeddah. In August, an anti-terrorism court sentenced him for "insulting the government."Amr was initially arrested over a minor offense. After falling victim to a scam, he ended up with a fraudulent permit that was supposedly meant to give him access to the holy site. Such cases are relatively common, as the kingdom welcomes nearly two million pilgrims each year. The offense is typically punishable by a fine and expulsion from the country.But the case escalated after Amr, angry at being arrested, raised his voice at the police officer. He was then taken away in a police van. “I waited...
Israel intensifies attacks on Mansouri; drone strikes injure 3 near Nabatieh
