Gholamreza Qassemian, who is in the kingdom for hajj - an annual pilgrimage that millions of Muslims make to Mecca with the intention of performing religious rites - was arrested on Monday after posting a video online in which he heavily criticized Saudi Arabia for what he called enabling moral corruption.
His remarks came after media reports - denied by a Saudi official on Monday - that Riyadh was planning to lift a 73-year-old ban on alcohol, which is prohibited for devout Muslims. Iran's judiciary said Qassemian's arrest was "unjustified and illegal." The Saudi government communications office did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. (Read More)
