Activist Zahack Tanvir, imprisoned by Saudi for posting anti-Pakistan content, released after one year

Tanvir was arrested on charges for attempting to create a rift between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia

Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) – Indian human rights activist Zahack Tanvir, who had been imprisoned in Saudi Arabia for a year, has been released. He was arrested in December 2023 for sharing anti-Pakistan content. Zahack expressed his gratitude towards the Indian embassy for their efforts in securing his release. He specifically thanked India’s External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar and Indian Ambassador Suhel Ajaz Khan.

39-year-old Zahack Tanvir said that he was arrested by Saudi Police in December 2023 following a complaint from Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). He was accused of attempting to weaken Pakistan’s political system. Saudi authorities arrested him, claiming that his post was detrimental to the diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.

Zahack Tanvir said, ‘The intention behind my post was never to create a political rift. I had only written about promoting radicalism in Pakistan’.

Tanvir is originally from Hyderabad, India. He had been residing in Saudi Arabia for 13 years before his arrest.

Indian activist Zahack Tanvir is finally free after being arrested and detained for a year in Saudi Arabia for an anti-Pakistan post! 📱

He was charged with creating a rift between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia jails someone for posting divisive posts between the two… pic.twitter.com/Beve7e6FRP

— Sanatan Prabhat (@SanatanPrabhat) February 4, 2025

Editorial Perspective

It is shocking that Saudi Arabia incarcerates individuals for posting content that creates a rift between two countries, while India takes no action against those spreading hateful posts about Hindu Dharma and Hindu Deities.