Saudi authorities have detained an Egyptian man after he posted an online video during Hajj criticising the alleged neglect that led to the deaths of hundreds of Egyptian pilgrims.
According to a video posted online by his father, Islam Osama Sobhi, 27, is currently held in custody in Taif after the Egyptian consulate in Jeddah surrendered him to security services for investigation.
Sobhi, who has cancer, is detained in connection with a viral video he posted on social media during Hajj earlier this month, where he expressed shock and denounced the deaths of many Egyptian pilgrims due to extreme heat and the lack of ambulance services and bus transfers.
In his video, Sobhi said that he and his companions were forced to walk for 10 hours as buses and cars refused to allow them to board.
“People have died. My roommate has died. We’ve been collecting bodies from the streets. I fell down many times,” he said in the now deleted video.
“Probably over 1,000 Egyptians died. I kept seeing Egyptian bodies strewn on the streets. And ambulances refused to stop.”
“Saudi authorities should respect human rights and freedom of expression, and stop the arbitrary arrest of Islam Sobhi,” the Arab Organisation for Human Rights said on Tuesday.
It also urged authorities to provide him access to a lawyer as well the necessary medical care as a cancer patient.
Middle East Eye has asked the Saudi government for comment on Sobhi’s case.
In another video, Sobhi said he received a barrage of insulting messages from Saudis due to his comments on Hajj.
“I didn’t mean to insult the Saudi government or people,” he said in his second video.
“God knows why I spoke this way. I wanted them to rescue people. I’ve deleted the video.”
In a third video on 23 June, Sobhi filmed himself at the Egyptian consulate in Jeddah where he surrendered himself.
“I am here to surrender myself and to ask them to have a solution. I haven’t had food or medical care for two days,” he said, asking for urgent medical help.
“I am very sick. Please send me an ambulance or medical care.”
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