Canadian imam released from 'horrid' Saudi imprisonment

A Canadian imam who was allegedly beaten and arrested by police in Saudi Arabia said Monday he was relieved to be released from "horrid" conditions but planned to continue his religious pilgrimage.

Shaykh Usama Al-Atar, from Edmonton, was arrested in Medina on Sunday while leading a group in prayer.... 

...Al-Atar was reportedly leading the group in prayer on Sunday when the police began to harass the group. Officers quickly focused in on the 33-year-old Edmonton man, taking him into custody, according to one witness. 

"They virtually strangled him. We saw him go black and blue," Mohamed Hayward told The Canadian Press. 

Massoud Shadjareh, of the IHRC in London, said earlier Monday Al-Atar was undergoing questioning at the district attorney's office Monday and his supporters hoped he would be released soon after. 

"He was seen by a number of people at the police station and he's very shaken but in good health and to some extent a bit disillusioned with the events that have taken place," Shadjareh told CTV's Canada AM from London.[1]