JEDDAH: Riyadh Gov. Prince Faisal bin Bandar has ordered the release of a 17-year-old citizen who had been falsely arrested at a local mosque when worshippers thought he had praised Daesh, the terrorist group.

Citizens had earlier this month cornered Bandar Al-Zafiri in the parking lot of the Hamza bin Abdul Muttalib Mosque in Riyadh after he had apparently tried to discuss the Friday sermon with the imam, and handed him over to the police.

Abdulaziz Al-Zafiri, Bandar’s father, said that the governor of Riyadh had understood what had happened after questioning the security authorities, and had ordered his release, a local publication reported recently.

“We were confident that he was innocent. We trust our leadership and our government, and he has now been reunited with his family and is attending school,” said Abdulaziz. He criticized those who had published false information on social media about the incident. People should determine the truth before posting information that could harm the reputation of others, he said.

Abdulaziz urged the country’s young imams and preachers to respond to questions from the youth and not rush into issuing religious edicts, which should be the responsibility of accredited scholars, he said.

He said that he plans to lay a complaint against those people who had caused his son psychological damage, and added that he would pray for God to protect the country and government from harm.