MORTAL DANGER

Saudi Friend of Jamal Khashoggi Warned by Canadian Government That His Life Is in Danger

Saudi dissident Omar Abdulaziz was told by Canadian authorities that he is a “potential target” by the Saudi government and that he should protect himself.

A prominent Saudi dissident and friend of the late Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi has been warned by the Canadian government that he is a “potential target” of the Saudi government. Speaking to the Guardian, 29-year-old Omar Abdulaziz, who is living in exile in Canada and who has nearly half a million Twitter followers, said the Canadian government told him that it had credible information about a possible plan to harm him.

Shortly after Khashoggi’s murder in Turkey, Abdulaziz—who was in constant contact with the slain journalist before his death—was told that his phone had been hacked by a network associated with Saudi Arabia. Shortly after that, the dissident’s family and friends were arrested in Saudi, according to the Guardian. In an interview, Abdulaziz explained how the Royal Canadian Mounted Police called him with the warning. “They asked me, ‘What do you think about it?’ I said, ‘I’m happy,’” Abdulaziz told the paper. “I feel that I’m doing something. You know, if you’re not doing anything that bothers MBS, that means you’re not working very well.”