Sfeir Says Holding No Grudge against Saudi Arabia

Lebanese composer and singer Samir Sfeir has said he is holding no grudge against the authorities in Saudi Arabia after he was detained for around 50 days in the kingdom.

Sfeir, who had residency in the kingdom for five years, told The Associated Press in a phone interview from Lebanon that he is now banned from returning after being deported.

"I was bothered by the manner. I wish they just told me to leave and not come back. I would have done it," he said.

Sfeir said he was "a political prisoner" in the Kingdom and his captors only questioned him on political issues, including whether he had links to Hizbullah and President Michel Aoun. No charges were pressed, he added.

"My investigator told me that I am making political statements," Sfeir said. "In their system, they don't have such thing. They disapproved."

After several interrogation sessions by different Saudi investigators, Sfeir was released and sent to Lebanon. Other than solitary confinement, Sfeir said he was treated respectfully. His wife, Marie, told a local TV station that Sfeir refused to eat in the first days of his detention and didn't have his medicine.

There was no official comment from Saudi Arabia about the reasons and conditions of his detention and release.

Sfeir's detention raised concerns at home that he was the latest victim of rising tension between Lebanon and its traditional ally, Saudi Arabia, which has increasingly used pressure, instead of assistance, in dealing with the small Mediterranean country where the Iran-backed Hizbullah dominates.

Only last month, the kingdom barred all fresh produce arriving from Lebanon from entering Saudi Arabia after drug smuggling was found in such shipments. It was a sharp measure that dealt a major blow to one of the main sources of foreign currency to the embattled Mediterranean country.

Tension between the two regional powerhouses -- Saudi Arabia and Iran -- often translated into a deadlock in decision-making in Lebanese politics. Saudi Arabia, which is seeking new allies in Lebanon, has imposed sanctions on Hizbullah, labeled a “terrorist” group by the United States and other Gulf countries.

Sfeir said he was the victim of an online smear campaign that used his old tweets and TV comments which he claimed were misrepresented to appear offensive to the kingdom. Sfeir said his investigators viewed some of his statements as offensive to Lebanon's army.

Sfeir is known for his political statements in the media and on other platforms to criticize opponents of Aoun, and has expressed his unwavering support to Hizbullah as a defender of the country's unity. He said the alleged smear campaign was launched after he posted a picture of himself receiving a vaccine in Saudi Arabia -- something his detractors thought he did not deserve.

"Social media and electronic flies (armies) are ruining things," he said. "They asked me many questions... They said, I am not allowed to be offensive to any Arab country," Sfeir added.