Saudi Cleric Salman Alodah is Not Free
The Claim
Saudi Arabian religious cleric Salman Alodah who was jailed by Saudi authorities in 2017 has been released.
News posted on
Emerging story
News circulating that Dr. Salman Alodah, a well-known Saudi Arabian religious cleric and scholar who calls for political reform and democracy has been released from prison. In 2016 Alodah became one of the most influential individuals on Twitter, in the Middle East, with more than 13 million followers. He has been imprisoned since September 2017, his arrest is believed to have been triggered by a tweet saying “May God harmonize between their hearts for the good of their people” expressing support of reconciliation between Saudi and his refusal to comply with an order by Saudi authorities to tweet a specific text to support Saudi’s decision of the blockade.
News began circulating on social media that he has been released from prison. The image most often shared read in Arabic “The Saudi Minister of Interior announces the release of Sheikh Salman Alodah through the intercession of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques”. Others shared the post and expressed their gratitude to God.
Misbar’s Analysis
Despite the news Alodah’s son, Abdullah Alodah tweeted denying his father’s release. He said that there was nothing new about his father’s situation, but rather that he is in bad health, being treated poorly and still in solitary confinement. According to his son, he has a secret court hearing on the 14th of March. Moreover, it does not appear that the Minister of Interior of Saudi Arabia released any such statements nor were there any credible sources reporting on the news. The Twitter account @social_m_kw that shared the original circulating post and image has been suspended on Twitter for spreading false information. Since Saudi Arabia resolved the political dispute with Qatar early in January, calls are being made to the country to genuinely reflect its diplomatic efforts by reconnecting with its own citizens through reforms such as free speech.
