(WXYZ) — A Melvindale man is finally on his way home after spending a month in a Saudi Arabian prison.
63-year-old Mohamad Salem was arrested last month at a Saudi Arabian airport. Salem and his sons were in Saudi Arabia on a religious pilgrimage.
Now, he's making his way back home to Detroit thanks to help from the U.S. government.
“It took them a month to determine he was not a threat, but eventually, they did and now he is back on American soil, and we couldn't be any happier," Salem's attorney Abdallah Moughni said.
For over a month, Moughni has been working non-stop to get his client back home. He says it was difficult as Saudi officials left him and Salem's family in the dark.
“We had no way to find out if they were charging him. What the evidence was against him. If they had any reports,” Moughni said.
Salem and his sons at the time were making a religious pilgrimage to Mecca. While in line Salem made a comment that made Saudi Officials intervene.
“He was livid. He was furious. And out of rage, he said if not for Mecca and Medina we would burn this country to the ground," the attorney said. "Two men arrested him and grabbed him, turned out they were Saudi Arabian officials.”
Moughni needed help and turned to the U.S. government and Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib for help. The state department and U.S. Embassy got involved and were able to communicate with Salem who is a diabetic.
“One of the things that was really important to myself and the family was making sure they had his medical records. That they understood his condition," Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib said.
Salem was in a high-security prison and his attorney claims Saudi officials were treating him poorly until reports started spreading across the web and local media.
"Once the Saudi's started to hear the American's were hearing about this story and taking it serious, he got completely different treatment,” Moughni said.
Now, the family is reuniting later Thursday morning.
“It was a month. A month for us to finally see him come home to his family,” Congresswoman Tlaib said.
Salem is expected to land at the metro airport at 10 a..m.
