The mysterious disappearance of a Saudi dissident

Ahmed Abdullah Al-Harbi, 24, disappeared from the radar after visiting his country’s embassy in Ottawa.

His activist friends believe he has been forced to return to Saudi Arabia and fear that he will have to provide the Saudi authorities with information that would put them and their families at risk.

Mr. Al-Harbi arrived in Canada in 2019 and was granted asylum. He collaborated in various activities with other Saudi opponents in Canada.

He participated in a presentation on YouTube and a network on Twitter to dismantle the rhetoric promoted by the Saudi regime on social networking sites.

According to Omar Abdulaziz, a longtime Saudi dissident residing in Canada, citing Washington PostSaudi authorities may be able to learn details of dissidents’ activities abroad.

Mr. Abdul Aziz said that Mr. Al-Harbi had left all of the common messaging groups.

Then he called two of his friends to tell them that he had been pressured to reveal the names of other activists to the Saudi authorities.

Mr. Al-Harbi is said to have been missing for nearly three weeks. On February 18, a new Twitter account appeared in his name, topped with a picture of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

There are no comments in Canada

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police declined to comment on this matter. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada stated that it cannot Do not affirm or deny If he has applied for asylum in Canada, citing Causes of confidentiality.

The Canadian government has not spoken about this.

Canada discloses very little information about such positions […] But we should not conclude that the government is slowing down because the government is not saying muchThomas Juneau, assistant professor in the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa, explained in an interview about the program. 24 • 60 In ICI RDI.

According to him, Cases of kidnapping or assassination of dissidents abroad, there were several cases […]. There has been in recent times since Mohammed bin Salman was crown prince, for four years, but before that, in the decades before that, there were a few cases as well. This is not the first case in Canada either.

Saad al-Jabri, a former Saudi intelligence official residing in Canada, accused the crown prince of trying to assassinate him.

He also filed a lawsuit last year against Mohammed bin Salman. Mr. Al-Jabri also claims that his children were detained in Saudi Arabia for his return.

The Saudi government accused Al-Jabri of misappropriating public money.