Saudi Arabia releases Iranian cleric who criticized Hajj: What to know
Iran-Saudi Arabia relations have improved in recent years, including in Hajj-related cooperation, though tensions remain over Iran’s regional policies.
An Iranian cleric was released from detention in Saudi Arabia on Thursday after being detained over a video in which he criticized the kingdom’s management of Islamic holy sites.
What happened: Gholam-Reza Qassemian and another Iranian man were released from custody in Medina early Thursday morning local time. Shasti Karimi, who heads consular affairs at the Iranian Foreign Ministry and is currently in Saudi Arabia, said the ministry and Iran’s Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization worked to release the two men and thanked Saudi authorities for their cooperation, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.
Qassemian, who was in Saudi Arabia for the Hajj pilgrimage, was detained in the holy city of Medina on Monday after criticizing Saudi authorities. He had posted a video in which he accused Saudi Arabia of commercializing the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.
“People will now be able to go to Mecca and Medina for casinos, brothels and vulgar concerts instead of going to Antalya,” he said in the video, according to Reuters. Antalya is a Turkish tourist destination.
