Alwaght- Prominent Lebanese music composer Samir Sfeir reportedly was arrested in Saudi Arabia following his arrival in the kingdom at the invitation of a Saudi information ministry official.
An official source said Lebanon's foreign ministry had tried to ask Saudi authorities about the whereabouts of Samir Sfeir.
Al-Akhbar newspaper said the Lebanese Foreign Ministry contacted the Saudi embassy in Beirut over the issue after which Sfeir’s wife was granted a permission to visit him.
“But when she went to see him, she was not allowed to,” al-Akhbar added.
“Up until Monday evening, Saudi authorities were refusing to respond to the Lebanese requests for information about the reasons behind his arrest,” the daily said.
Sfeir is a vocal supporter of President Michel Aoun and his Free Patriotic Movement. He has also voiced support on Twitter for Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. News about his disappearance or arrest in the kingdom have sparked a wave of solidarity with him among Lebanese social media users, especially those who support Aoun and the FPM.
A media report meanwhile said that Sfeir was arrested a week ago after his Saudi residence was raided by over ten unarmed Saudi security agents.
“They asked him to give them his laptop and he answered that he did not have any laptop. When they asked him about the other devices that he owns, he handed them two iPhones – one containing a Lebanese line and the other a Saudi line,” the report said.
The agents then “searched the house carefully without finding any contraband material. They then took Sfeir along with his two devices to the Dalhoun prison,” the report added.
“Sfeir has only communicated with his family one time to inform them of his whereabouts,” the report said.
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An MP from Aoun's political party, Salim Aoun, had tweeted asking: "Where is Samir Sfeir?" with a hashtag calling for his "freedom".
Local media said on Tuesday that the musician was believed to be detained in Saudi Arabia, where he has residence.
Sfeir faced a backlash among Saudis on social media earlier this year when he shared a photo of himself getting a COVID-19 shot in Saudi Arabia. The post angered some who accused him of benefiting from the kingdom's services despite his past comments alluding to Saudi Arabia exporting terrorism.
