US concerned by detention of citizens in Saudi

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has expressed his concern about the detention of US citizens and human rights activists in Saudi Arabia.

Pompeo said during a phone call with his Saudi counterpart, Faisal Bin Farhan, that he is “concerned over wrongful detention of US citizens and human rights activists in the Kingdom,” calling for a fair and expeditious resolution of the cases.

A statement by the US State Department said: “The two ministers discussed the efforts to overcome divisions between Gulf countries needed to deter Iran’s aggressive acts in the region and the mutual determination to achieve an inclusive political solution to the conflict in Yemen.”

The statement indicated that the two officials “also discussed the strong bilateral security and economic partnership between the United States and Saudi Arabia, US support for Saudi Arabia’s economic and social transformation under Vision 2030, and the importance of continued progress in the field of human rights.”

In April last year, Saudi Arabia detained at least seven people, including two dual US-Saudi citizens, the London-based rights group ALQST said.

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