Saudi Arabia detains Iraqi officer for anti-Israel posts during pilgrimage

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RIYADH,Saudi Arabia.Oct 08/Press TV/–Saudi authorities have arrested Lieutenant Colonel Omar Nizar, an officer in Iraq’s elite Rapid Response Forces, for reportedly posting against Israel during Umrah (pilgrimage) in Mecca.

Nizar was detained after posting a video on social media in which he prayed for the victory of Palestinians in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, The New Arab reported.

According to reports, the video is believed to be the reason behind his arrest. The video has been widely circulated.

The officer has been referred to the Saudi State Security Agency (SSA), and his fate remains unclear, his lawyer told Iraq’s state television.

The Saudi kingdom has not allowed criticism of Israel since the regime of Israel launched a genocidal war on Gaza on October 7 last year.

The official death toll stands at nearly 42,000, with about 100,000 injured and 10,000 missing. The majority of the casualties are women and children, health officials say.

In addition to lives lost, a humanitarian crisis has unfolded in the besieged Palestinian territory, including the collapse of the health care system.

In a recent report published by the Geneva-based Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor, it is revealed that an estimated 10 percent of Gaza’s population has been killed, injured, reported missing, or detained as a result of Israeli military assaults.