Melvindale man happy to be home after wrongful imprisonment in Saudi Arabia
ROMULUS, Mich. (FOX 2) - A Melvindale man is back on US soil after being wrongfully detained in Saudi Arabia for more than a month.
Mohammed Salem was arrested for getting into an argument with security while waiting to visit a religious site during a Muslim pilgrimage.
"He was terrified, but this American passport rescued him," said his attorney, Abdallah Moughni.
Salem held up his American passport and said, "This is power."
"They set him up, they entrapped him, and they were going to put him away for a very long time," said another attorney.
A devout Muslim, Mohamad, and his two sons made the required trip to Mecca in Saudi Arabia on November 1st.
Salem had a dispute while waiting in line, and made some not-so-flattering remarks about Saudi Arabia, which led to his immediate arrest.
"(He said) 'If it were not for Mecca and Medina, we would burn this country to the ground,'" Moughni said, quoting the comments that got Salem arrested by Saudi Arabian security.
FOX 2: "Is that a good thing to say?"
"Absolutely not," said Moughni. "I'm sure he regrets it. But the punishment he got for it, being in a maximum security prison for over a month, it's just not the right punishment for that situation."
Salem was asked if he regretted his comments that led to his arrest, but never gave a clear-cut answer. He did share through his translating attorneys the difficult treatment he received.
"They treated him poorly the first day," said his other attorney. "They treated him like a criminal. But once they knew he was an American, once they saw the passport ..."
Salem added, "Everything changed."
He originally came to the United States from Yemen in 1989. His two sons are still in Saudi Arabia and are returning next week. His attorney doesn't want pictures of his sons shown for fear of retaliation.
But on Thursday he was all smiles, and happy to be back home.
Mohammed Salem, left, arriving at Detroit Metropolitan Airport back from Saudi Arabia.