Pair of U.S. citizens among 11 detained in Saudi crackdown

ISTANBUL — Saudi Arabia detained two dual U.S.- Saudi citizens this week during a roundup of activists, intellectuals and writers, including supporters of Saudi feminists and advocates for Palestinian rights, human rights groups and people briefed on the arrests said Friday.

The detentions, of at least 11 people, signaled a revival of a crackdown on dissent by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The campaign, marked by waves of arrests, had quieted somewhat in the months since the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents in Istanbul.

Many of the latest arrests occurred Thursday.

Those detained included Salah al-Haidar, a dual U.S.Saudi citizen and son of feminist Aziza al-Yousef. Yousef, who is on trial with other Saudi women’s rights advocates on charges related to their activism, was temporarily released from custody last week.

Al-Haidar has a family home in Vienna, Va., and lives with his wife and child in Saudi Arabia.

Another detainee, Badr al-Ibrahim, a doctor and writer, also holds dual U.S. and Saudi citizenship, according to people briefed on the arrests, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retaliation by Saudi authorities.

A State Department spokeswoman confirmed Friday that two U.S. citizens had been arrested and that the U.S. had “already engaged the Saudi government” on the matter, but she declined to comment further, citing privacy considerations.

A Saudi government media office did not reply to an email requesting details about the detentions and the charges.