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Saudi diplomat rejects activist’s allegation he’s a target

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Arab pro-democracy activist Iyad el-Baghdadi attends press conference in Oslo, Monday, May 13, 2019. An Arab activist living in Norway said Monday he\'s been given protection by two different Norwegian entities after the CIA informed officials of an unspecified threat against him, which he said is likely linked to his research on Saudi Arabia. Iyad el-Baghdadi is an outspoken commentator on Arab affairs on Twitter, where he has over 130,000 follower. (Ryan Kelly/NTB Scanpix via AP)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – A top Saudi diplomat says the kingdom has no information about an Arab activist living in Norway who says the CIA tipped Norwegian security about a threat against him emanating from Saudi Arabia.

Responding to a question during a press conference in Saudi Arabia on Sunday, Adel al-Jubeir, the minister of state for foreign affairs, claimed he’d never heard of Iyad al-Baghdadi.

Al-Jubeir, however, then said el-Baghdadi’s motivation for speaking out publicly could be that he is seeking permanent residency in some country.

The Palestinian-born activist says his work investigating possible Saudi crimes have made him a target.

El-Baghdadi responded on Twitter, where he has more than 130,000 followers, saying that for the record, “I have no immigration struggles (anymore), I was granted asylum by Norway four years ago.”

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Abbey Westbury

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