J&K man returns home after months in Saudi detention reportedly linked to Facebook post on Ayatollah Khamenei

A 29-year-old resident of Baramulla in Jammu and Kashmir has returned home after spending three months in a Saudi Arabian detention centre, where he was held without communication over a Facebook post about late Iranian leader Ayatollah Khamenei. Amjad Ali Bhat reached home on Friday after being released and flown back to India by Saudi authorities.

Recalling the events that led to his detention, Amjad said he was working in Dammam on March 25 when security personnel arrived at his workplace.

“I was at my workplace in Dammam March 25, when at least six security officers, one in uniform, took me for questioning, which they said would take two hours. I complied. They took me to a police station. There, they confiscated my passport and other IDs before asking me to sign an acknowledgement," he told TOI.

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He said officials later questioned him about a Facebook post he had shared on March 5.

“I said it was a condolence post, nothing more.”

Held without contact with family

After the questioning, Amjad said he was transferred to a detention centre where he shared a small room with six other detainees.

“When I asked them about the charges, they only responded that I’ll get to know later,” he said.

According to Amjad, the facility also housed detainees from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Yemen, Egypt and Syria.

“Questioning sessions continued almost every other day. I had doubts whether I would ever be released. I wasn’t even allowed to speak to my family during my detention,” he added.

Release after three months

Amjad said he was informed on June 25 that he would be released and sent back to India.

“I broke down in relief. The Saudi authorities had arranged a flight from Riyadh to Delhi and I finally reached Baramulla,” Amjad said.

Amjad's father, Ghulam Ali Bhat, a retired staffer at the Jammu and Kashmir handicrafts department, described the past three months as difficult for the family.

“The past three months were traumatic for us. Now that he is back, he has decided to find work in India and not go abroad again.”

How the incident unfolded

The case dates back to the aftermath of the assassination of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a joint US-Israeli operation in February 2026. Following the killing, Amjad shared a photograph of Ayatollah Khamenei on his Facebook profile along with the tribute: “Khamenei is not important, Islam is important.”

Those close to him suspected the post may have triggered his detention. Even so, Saudi authorities never confirmed any connection between the social media post and his arrest. They also did not reveal why he had been detained or announce any formal charges against him.

With no clarity over his whereabouts or legal status, his family launched a sustained effort to seek official intervention. They contacted the Ministry of External Affairs, wrote to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, reached out to the Indian Embassy in Riyadh and requested Jammu and Kashmir MP Aga Ruhullah Mehdi to take up the matter, according to the Kashmir observer.

While the Indian Embassy assured the family that it was pursuing the case and would communicate any updates, weeks passed without any fresh information, leaving them uncertain about Amjad's fate.