Letter to the Hon. Mike Pompeo, Secretary of the U.S. Dept. of State - Sens. Menendez, Leahy, Murphy, Van Hollen, Wyden Urge Sec. Pompeo to Address Saudis' Detention of American Doctor while in Riyadh

Letter

Dear Mr. Secretary,

As you travel to Saudi Arabia this week, we ask you to raise the case of Dr. Walid Fitaihi and his family with the highest levels of the Saudi government during your trip. Specifically, we ask you to urge a positive and prompt resolution of the ongoing court case against Dr. Fitaihi and a lifting of the travel ban imposed on him and seven members of his family, all of whom are U.S. citizens.

As you know, Dr. Fitaihi was first detained in November 2017 and was held without charge for almost two years, during which time he was reportedly tortured. He was released pending trial during the summer of 2019, however the court case against him continues to drag on. The Saudi government has imposed a travel ban on Dr. Fitaihi and his family, preventing them from returning to the United States.

It has been a consistent priority of the United States--throughout Democratic and Republican administrations--to free Americans abroad from unjust detention. We are aware that the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh has been following Dr. Fitaihi's case for some time, and we urge you to also advocate for the rights of all those unjustly detained in Saudi Arabia, especially American citizens.