Iranian cleric Gholamreza Ghasemian, who was arrested for his controversial ‘obscene concert events’ remarks, was freed by the Saudi authorities on Thursday, ISNA reported. Saudi authorities arrested Ghasemian on Monday whereas he was performing rituals of the hajj in Mecca after a video went viral. In a veiled assault on the Saudi authorities, Ghasemian, wearing a white pilgrimage gown, had accused them of turning the Qibla -– the course Muslims face in prayer -– into “a spot for playing homes, centres of debauchery, and obscene concert events”.His feedback referred to the social modifications made in recent times by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the dominion’s de facto chief.ISNA confirmed that Gholamreza Ghasemian is at present on his method again to Iran, following efforts by Iranian officers to safe his launch.
Earlier, reacting to the arrest, Iran’s overseas minister Abbas Araghchi, on Tuesday night, mentioned on X, “Iran in no unsure phrases condemns any try to hurt Muslim unity, notably within the religious environment of the hajj.”“We’re decided to not enable anybody to sabotage relations with our brotherly neighbours, together with the progressive path of Iran and Saudi Arabia”, Araghchi added.Expressing his private opinions, Iranian judiciary spokesman Asghar Jahangir described the cleric’s arrest as “unjustified and illegal”.The controversy has strained ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Based on the Iran Wire, Riyadh has now suspended Hajj visas issuance for Iranians. Riyadh’s transfer has affected Iranian pilgrims collaborating on this 12 months’s Hajj.
