A prominent Saudi imam and preacher at the Grand Mosque in Mecca was arrested by Saudi authorities after giving a sermon in which he criticized mixed-gender concerts that were recently allowed in the oil-rich kingdom.
According to a social media watchdog called “Prisoners of Conscience,” Sheikh Bandar Abdulaziz Balila was arrested by Saudi authorities in a night raid targeting his home for “crossing certain lines that Saudi authorities forces imams to adhere to in their sermons.”
The imam was arbitrarily detained for four days in a Saudi prison under inhumane conditions before he was released.
This marks the second time a Grand Mosque imam is detained by Saudi authorities for challenging the recently-allowed mixed-gender gatherings after fellow preacher Sheikh Saleh al-Talib’s arrest back in August.
Talib, who also serves as a judge in Mecca, decried the mixing of unrelated men and women at gender-mixed entertainment venues.
Over the past year alone, Saudi authorities have arrested 2,613 for “thought crimes” as the ultra-conservative kingdom continues its crackdown against anyone speaking up against Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman’s controversial policies.
