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THE UNITED STATES said today that it was raising a prison sentence handed to a US citizen with Saudi Arabia, when over tweets the man made critical of the kingdom.
The State Department confirmed the detention of Saad Ibrahim Almadi, a US citizen of Saudi origin, and said the United States brought up his case starting in December and as recently as yesterday.
“We have consistently and intensively raised our concerns regarding the case at senior levels of the Saudi government, both through channels in Riyadh and Washington, DC,” State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters.
“Exercising freedom of expression should never be criminalized,” he said.
The Washington Post reported that Almadi, who lives in Florida and had gone to visit family, was detained in November at the airport regarding 14 tweets he wrote over the previous seven years.
Quoting his son, the newspaper said that Almadi, who is 72, was sentenced on 3 October to 16 years in prison with a travel ban of another 16 years after that.
His son, Ibrahim, told the newspaper that his father had expressed only “mild” opinions with tweets mentioning corruption in Saudi Arabia and the killing of Jamal Khashoggi, the US-based columnist who was dismembered in 2018 after being lured into the kingdom’s Istanbul consulate.
Almadi was charged in part with supporting and funding terrorism and trying to destabilize the kingdom, his son said.
The death of Khashoggi, who wrote for The Washington Post, triggered outrage in Washington although then president Donald Trump boasted of saving the powerful crown prince, Mohammed Bin Salman, from major repercussions.
President Joe Biden declassified intelligence that showed that the crown prince ordered the killing and vowed to get tougher, including over Saudi Arabia’s deadly offensive in Yemen.
Biden in July nonetheless traveled to Saudi Arabia and was photographed in a fist-bump with the crown prince on a trip seen as seeking the kingdom’s help to lower gas prices by pumping more oil.
But OPEC+, led by Saudi Arabia, on October 5 announced a major cut in production just ahead of US congressional elections, outraging Biden who vowed consequences.
Saudi Arabia has long faced criticism over human rights. Blogger and rights activist Raif Badawi served 10 years in prison through March and was publicly lashed 50 times for charges over content on his website.
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Hey Lucinda . you have to win seats first.
My thoughts exactly. The cheek!
You need candidates to do that don’t you?
Imagine Eddie hobbs as minister for finance.There would be nothing left. Probably bring in the pyramid tax. Take your money and gamble it.
Cape Verde apartments for everyone!!!
Free attic conversations all round.
For fck sake,conversions.
Eddie is OK-I don’t know why he is involving himself with them.
You should have joined another party Eddie-Sinn Fein maybe.?
Shes a fool
‘Creighton also said this morning that Renua would be publishing a list of so-called red line issues during the election campaign.’
I’d say the main one is who gets to run the red biro through the party name once they become extinct. If I were her, I would be getting that biro for Xmas
Lucinda creighton, alan kelly, enda kenny, joan burton. Dont know which i detest most.
Eddie’s a wänker. He advised people on air to buy property in Cape Verde. Some analysts may get it wrong from time to time but advising people to buy CV property… Shameful when you consider most people that would bother listening to the little fella are working class rip off ireland viewers.
Renua will win seats. Flat taxation is a great idea. Also, their plan to do away with the most scandalous tax in Ireland, which is the punitive and over the top motor tax rates, would be fantastic.
Are you a member of renua, dude?
Loved watching her being destroyed by Vincent in relation to her statements on SF. Has anyone else noticed that her right eye starts twitching when she is under pressure?
‘Renua will win seats. Flat taxation is a great idea. Also, their plan to do away with the most scandalous tax in Ireland, which is the punitive and over the top motor tax rates, would be fantastic.’
Jesus wept. Flat taxation. Flat world more like. Will these people ever please go AWAY!
Luck Lucinda your a FG reject what are you s—–g about now. Let see if you can win a seat first.
you a—–e
@Seamus – No I’m not.
@Andrew – Flat rate taxation is the only truly fair way of taxing income. Everyone pays the exact same rate. relative to their income.
Progressive taxation is a form of communism – which is where it has it’s origins – straight out of Karl Marx.
I pray the Irish people are a little smarter than what they seem to be as all Renua is is simply Féin Geal and anyone who can not see this really really has been hit with the stupid stick to often.
Do Renua actually have any following?, their ethics are completely idiotic. I don’t see them winning any seats not to mind a coalition with any of the big four.
Well said. Also The lovely Lucinda has lately come across as dithering and unsure when quizzed on her policies and topical issues of the day. The rest of her crew e.g Billy Timmins, are County Council material at most. I don’t think SF/IRA will stay awake at night worrying about Renua’s stated position.
Somebody, please put some punctuation in that policy document’s title.
We all know who Lucinda will do business with..
Hopefully there will be no need of her services by the Blueshirts because she will not have any TD’s elected.
Trojan Horse-go back to Troy.!
Just Fine Gael 2.0 :
https://www.facebook.com/banbloodsports/photos/a.463548137094083.1073741827.463547953760768/876928225756070/?type=3
(Via the Irish Council Against Bloodsports)
‘Lucinda Creighton thinks animal cruelty tourism would give Irish economy a boost
“There’s definitely room for further promotion. Would be a huge boost for neglected rural economy.” The outrageous response from Renua leader Lucinda Creighton TD when ICABS challenged her on her suggestion that hunting be developed as an Irish tourism product.
During a Dail debate last month on the Horse Racing Ireland Bill, the Dublin South–East TD stated: “I think we need to develop a lot more of our tourism industry around the horse equestrian sector generally – be it sport horses, be it the hunting sector, be it racing and so on. A lot of that can be integrated because often it’s the same people who are interested in all the different elements. I think there’s real potential there” – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgLeFhP7J2c
When ICABS expressed shock and disgust at the statement, Lucinda Creighton tweeted back to say “It already is [developed as tourism product]. There’s definitely room for further promotion. Would be a huge boost for neglected rural economy.”
The reality is that, due to the appalling animal cruelty involved, Ireland’s tourism body Failte Ireland, has long since stopped promoting hunting. On its website, the tourism body makes it clear that “Blood sports including coursing or hunting are not promoted in any Failte Ireland publications.”
Any move to present foxhunting as a tourism product would surely damage Ireland’s international image – particularly in a modern tourism market where respect for the environment, wildlife and nature ranks highly among potential visitors. Our international image already suffers due to our government’s failure to act to ban barbaric bloodsports such as foxhunting and hare coursing.
It is appalling that Lucinda Creighton, as a member of our national parliament, would stand up in this day and age and promote such blatant cruelty to animals. She can’t be unaware of the barbarism involved – foxes chased for miles to exhaustion and torn apart by a pack of hounds when caught. And when foxes manage to find refuge underground, terriers are sent in after them to corner and attack them while merciless terriermen with spades, dig out the terrified foxes to brutally kill them. ‘
Running at 1% in the Polls , they will get it hard to warm up one of the back bench seats, should get that delusional bit checked out, she is going to look very silly in the count center, at the business end of things.
Renua are only there to prop up fg there a sham
I think that their followers are in Tartarus?
F.G. Lite for when politics stick to your hips and at the back of your throat lol.
Lucinda’s responsibility is to herself cutely seeing her beloved FG partys support lose major ground during its government lifetime seized on the anto abortion vote out there and jumped ship to keep her relevant after GE16. Of course Lucinda’s other responsibility was to 199% push for her federalists masters as Minister for European affairs the passing of the Fiscal Treaty which binds Ireland to a spending cap of 1.5 billion per annum. That treaty handed budgets over to Frankfurt and Brussels to Mr Draghi and his political ideology. Now Lucinda is distancing herself from this absolute betrayal of every man woman and child in this country. Our Austerity treaty is her legacy . Sinn Fein or the provos as she likes to call them are in a very responsible position in the north were factions make it hard to get anything done but their politicking and getting it done. Meanwhile Lucinda steals other partys policys while slamming them and her Senator husband totally clueless to fatal foetal abnormality insults every parent in Ireland who has or could be a little tiny mishap away from experiencing it . Why is he clueless cos Abortion vote is a big vote they think and their rekying on that to build their party. Pathetic really. Thanks for the hands tied Austerity Fiscal Treaty Lucinda be proud .
Loving the new name too.. Renua-ble … Fine Galers..
she wasnt dithery and unsure when she and her husband stayed overnight in a hotel and both charged the taxpayer seperate expense bills amounting to hundreds of euro….
A parry at 1% talking as though they are remotely relevant.
Polled higher in the last by election in Carlow Kilkenny than aaa/PBP combined.
The Standup Raving Lunatic party would poll better than aaa/PBP combined.
Says the deluded lady from the Christian Taliban party… Pot… Kettle anyone??
What’s Renua?.Sounds like Boscos Girlfriend.
Something tells me Renua won’t have much of a hand with which to do business with anybody after the election.
Good-bye Renua, the party that was an answer to a question nobody ever asked.
It is only now I see in the twitter photo above the not quite packed attendance at Renua’s tax symposium this morning in the Royal Irish Academy – 2 people in a room that holds hundreds.
On the upside – whatever about the questions as to Gerry – at least it can now be said that Renua were in the RIA :-)
its best to just sit back and laugh :D
Thomas Mac Donagh – There’s a strong rumour about that Dane Tyghe has split from FG and is going to troll for Renua instead – as the money is better ?
poor shinnerbot :D
They are all the same under their cover lol.
Where is Diarmuid today???? Half of his comments from yesterday directed at me are missing/ deleted.
It makes me laugh the way Lucinda expects anybody to take her and her ragtag bunch of parasites seriously. They alienated huge swathes of the population before they even had a name. Getting Eddie Hobbs involved was PR suicide. I can’t see this rabble even getting one seat in the GE. Fairy tale is over Lucinda. Go get a proper job.
Don’t be calling people parasites, that “sinister fringe” and “dissident” terminology
Such drivel from Lucinda. The parties are diametrically opposed. The dogs on the street know it’s just FG lite.
“We know that decisions in Sinn Féin are taken elsewhere”. Do we Lucinda? Any evidence at all?
No, I said evidence, not Belfast Telegraph opinion polls.
Seems like evidence isn’t your friend anyway. It appears to be hiding from you. Try harder.
BT is a biased rag.
Can you tell us who owns the Belfast telegraph, rod, and which political party he’s associated with?
Good lad.
Ah, you’re back Rod. Did you find that evidence you were looking for that SF policy is directed by “the army council”? Stick it up for everyone to read here like a good man.
tyrone subject, did you find the part in the GFA where you accept the queen as your head of state? Remember as you put yourself, we cannot pick and chose in relation to the GFA
It seems Rod has received his marching orders.
He’s gone awful quiet
Rod/tap/mcdonagh/diarmiud/oisin,Renua is very similar to your own tuv party,no policies, full of political rejects and halfwits.
poor shinner paranoia, best to just laugh directly in their faces as always :D
We have a story on fine Gael corruption, and surprise surprise Hugh throws up a story about Sinn fein! Your turning blue at this stage Hughy!
Turning blue? The mans a smurf
Deny deflect turn the other cheek no corruption here toddle along now.
The journal should be more concerned with hackers who have compromised the site, surely it is a cyber crime to have infiltrated a media organisation, is data belonging to its readers safe from these criminals who are trying to influence proceedings illegally. Did they notify the Gardai to this breach, how safe is the readership from these cyber scourges.
Mr phil. It depends on who the hackers are now if they were from a certain political party you can be sure the gardai would be knocking on their doors in the early morning if you know mean.
What.
Ray, from what I hear hacking is not hard to do, professional hackers will break in but just look around and not touch anything, it’s the amateurs who start fooling around that leave fingerprints so they should be identifiable. No doubt they stuck around on the threads to gloat about their handiwork so there should be evidence linking them to this cybercrime.
poor mike, if only that were true shinnerbot :D
Very true phil.
So I take it you did not leave any evidence thomas.
“If you’re going to become true dodgeballers, then you’ve got to learn the five d’s
of dodgeball: dodge, duck, dip, dive and dodge”
- Patches O’Houlihan RIP
Sinn Féin are “not ready for government”, says leader of a nine month old political party with no elected representatives at any level elected as a Renua candidate.
poor shinners most toxic party in history :D
I have no doubt Gerry is saying the same about Lucinda.
This woman is typical of Irish politicical scene at present. Self indulgent fool.
Last thing SF want is to be in government it would be nightmare for them Imagine Mary Lou as minister for health having to defend 300 people on trolleys Where would she find more money for health as SF have promised to get rid of property tax water tax and USC
They would probably start with halving all politicians salaries and obscene pensions..
Renua will be dealing with no one,they will be wiped out like labour.
All Ireland needs is another idiot party looking to leech off the life blood of the people.
Yes, we should have less parties. The best countries have only one party.
When is F.G’s Christmas party this year lol.
I know one person who was going to vote renua. It didnt take much covincing that it was a bad idea after said person saw lucinda’s vincent browne appearance. Shes a complete moron and if elected will just prop up fg.
Look-at-the cr.etin.
The party reminds me of a dog from a puppy farm.. Cute and cuddly on the outside but the inbreeding has left the poor thing half mad and dangerously vicious… Best to just put it out of its misery.
@Rasputin…..brilliantly put!
Yes Rasputin and in the long term both will turn out to be very expensive.
Rasputin ,,,Post of the year ,Ha Ha
I don’t trust her one iota, she’d hang you given the chance, and I wouldn’t be surprised if her and enda had a deal whereas she leaves fine gael under the pretext of whatever in order to start a new party to go into partnership with fine gael,
Renua who?
Re who now?
Ruinua.
Lucinda calling someone an attention speaker is a bit rich.
Oh noes, the legion of mary wing of FG don’t want to do business with the largest party on the left.
STOP PRESS!!
(Incidentally, whats the story with the headline? If it’s a quote from Creighton, it should be in quotation marks. If it is a construct of words used by Creighton, the quoted words should be in quotes)
Lucinda who?
Renua: 0 – 2%
Sinn Féin: 18-21%
She’s a comedian
Not a very successful one.
She is looking for a way back to Daddy.
A new brand! Finally ,luxury politics !
Is it just me or does Lucinda Creighton get an inordinate amount of air time for a representative of a new party with no political clout whatsoever?
She’s on every political talk show, RTE, Vincent Browne, radio, newsprint,……
And to be honest I still haven’t a clue what she stands for..except ‘small and medium sized businesses’
She stands for the taxpayer…every other party seems to think the taxpayer is some sugardaddy that provides “free” stuff from the sky.
A party to the right of FG won’t do business with SF. What a shocker… Lucinda, you need seats before you are in any bargining position.
Seems like they’ll be going for the self enriching cronyism politics so!
Renua….. Lucinda (who)
Can’t see Gerry and Mary Lou losing to much sleep. At least she conceds Sinn Fein could be in a position to form a government by coming out with this statement.
fixed the headline for yee lads:
“Renua will not be doing business.”
It’s like a headline from Waterford Whispers.
Renua calling another party ‘attention seeking’? (though in a sense, all parties need attention to get votes).
Lucinda is mental. Only the media keep her little vanity project afloat, no one in the real world cares, let alone would consider voting for them.
As if!
I wouldn’t touch her with Gerry’s……………….party.
All RENUA wants is a COALITION with F.G.
That seems to be why they were created for to me?
I’d say if sinn fein got into power they’d be like the dog that caught the car, they wouldn’t know what to do!!
Isn’t it great that the democratic will of the people doesn’t rely on your opinion. Thanks though
Yes ciaran like the corrupt FG/FF/LAB.politicans interesting times ahead.
The North has been transformed since SF entered government, if things keep moving in the direction that there heading it will be a very prosperous place in the future.
“Creighton said that her party was not interested in potential coalition talks with a party that has been closely aligned with the IRA in the past.
However in an interview with TheJournal.ie in June, the former Fine Gael minister appeared to rule out coalition with just about every party:”
Is that because they have all been associated with one phase of the IRA or another e.g. Fine Gael (Pre-Treaty IRA and Post Treaty murder gangs), Fianna Fail (Pre and Post Treaty IRA, Labour (Official IRA and other splinter groups including Maria Cahill’s dissident group, Republican Network for Unity).
What hypocrites, the lot of them.
So true!!
Renua won’t be doing anything I suspect – with anyone – after the general election.
Has their 1% following suddenly gtr delusions of grandeur?
I’m sure they’ll accomplish more than United People .. a party of total irrelevance and sole existence is to abuse all other public figures on social media. Pathetic Jeff
Renua is as useful as a ghetto blaster would have been to Anne frank.
Renua will not be renewed
ReWHOa??? When did they become. Relevant to anything in Irish politics?
What a non story, reported and bumped every few hours just to take the spotlight off a little bit from the FG corruption articles.
Renua have to get some seats yet lol
Political Parties are just private clubs, financial predators who pass laws to max your tax in their own and lobby interests. Fine Gael / Labour passed a law to allow Revenue to take the LPT from your pay or pension without consent or right of appeal making the State (themselves) dangerously more powerful than the citizen.
Lucinda having a pop. Its like getting savaged by a butterfly. Hopefully not one of Bobby Storey’s.
Renua seems to be the only political party with the guts to take on the bloated, overpaid and underworked civil service and public sector administrators (many of whom are reading this comment as they don’t have much to do at ‘work’).
They will hopefully get in as a junior coalition partner and prevent the coming robbery of the taxpayer by the unions.
Ruinua = the PDs with God on their side
You poor deluded eejit Cal !! Ruinua will be going the way of the dodo after the election .. And not before time.. A shower of holy Joe dinosaurs who want to take us back to 1950s ireland…
Hay, Renua is made from the same cloth as F.G. as P.D. were made from the same cloth as F.F. were made of, and we all know what the P.D’s did?
P.D’s now means Poor Dopes…
Is this Renua’s election policy to condemn S.F. from now on rather to explain their policies or will they just copy and pastes F.G’s? As usual…
Phew! That’s a relief.
I dreamed last night that Renua and the Shinners had formed a coalition government. What a nightmare.
Now I know I was only dreaming. Thank you Lucinda and Pearse for clearing that up.
I can rest easy.
This is not any surprise. Nobody with any sense of morals or responsibility would have anything to do with the SF and their gang.
I’m sure SF will do just fine without Renua’s 1% support. They are nothing but FG lite
Renua fg and labour rejects not 1 vote
Don’t worry Ms. Creighton I’ve also ruled out voting for you or any of your party in any election.
Renua sounds like a menopausal vitamin supplement
And these are the options we have for politicians.. Lord have mercy! We’re all doomed…
Alan Farrell saving the day at the end of it all. At least he recognised that we are all more stupid for reading these semi literate tweets.
Renua = Fine Gael with rosary beads ,all we need, another right wing party like F.G. .F.F, Labour to look after the wealthy ,Renua T.Ds ? will rejoin Fine Gael under a new leader or go into the dust of history like the P.Ds
Compliments Lucinda, look at the publicity that “stupid” article attracted for your party.
‘Sorry your wrong again’ – he speaks in braille and he can’t even write in English.
Sinn fein must be quaking in their boots at the thought of not forming a coalition with the fine gael reject party. How will Gerry sleep tonight
Alan Farrell with a timely zinger!
C U Next Tuesday Lucinda
Coalition with who? … Or coalition with whom? The mind boggles.
I love when college dropouts like Pearse Doherty talk to the nation about its financial and economic needs. Anyone who has failed an engineering degree twice and never worked in the sector in their life should be listened to very carefully on such matters. In the imortal words of Gerry Adams, when asked how he planned to pay for his parties outlandish tax cuts and expenditure increases ….. “Economics”.
With the E.U. Parliament filling up with extreme parties, then what will happen to us as a nation then?
Ha! Good man Alan Farrell!!
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