A female Umrah pilgrim was apprehended at the Grand Mosque for hoisting the Palestinian flag

A female Umrah pilgrim was detained within the precincts of the Grand Mosque for displaying the Palestinian flag, an act of solidarity with the people of Palestine.

These arrests are part of a series of infringements by the Saudi authorities against pilgrims and Umrah participants who express their solidarity with the Palestinian people. The Saudi authorities have increasingly suppressed any form of expression or reminder of the Palestinian issue. Similar incidents have been documented, including Umrahs wearing Palestinian keffiyeh or demonstrating their support for the Palestinian cause in other ways.

The Hajj and Umrah Violations Observatory condemns the Saudi authorities’ arrest of the pilgrim and calls for her immediate release, emphasizing that the ongoing detention of pilgrims for showing solidarity with the Palestinians must be halted without delay.