Prominent Lebanese Composer Samir Sfeir 'Arrested' in KSA

Prominent Lebnaese music composer Samir Sfeir was arrested days ago in Saudi Arabia following his arrival in the kingdom at the invitation of a Saudi information ministry official, media reports said.

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 Hizbullah 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.