T&T's ambassador to Uganda Patrick Edwards intends to travel to Saudi Arabia to secure the release of T&T national Tariq Shamoon Mohammed.
Mohammed, 30, of Mohammedville, El Socorro, was detained on suspicion of being a terrorist after landing in Saudi Arabia on August 21.
The T&T Guardian understands Edwards was informed of Mohammed's detention and up to yesterday was making several telephone calls attempting to secure his release.
Mohammed's wife, Saudah, along with their 16-month-old son was released by Saudi officials hours after they were detained on August 21.
Mohammed, a fourth-year student, was due to complete his degree in Arabic and theology studies at the University of Medinah next June.
Having lived in Saudi Arabia for the past seven years, Mohammed's family yesterday stressed he was not involved in any illegal or corrupt activities and that the family had never before experienced any problems traveling to and from Saudi Arabia.
Seeking to explain why a picture bearing his son's name under a foreign image claiming the individual was involved in terrorist activities had been circulated both locally and internationally, Mohammed's father Shamoon Mohammed, who is radio host with 106.1FM, said:
"Somebody set up that picture claiming he is a terrorist. He is not involved in anything like that. He is a good student with high grades and he went back to complete his last academic year."
Shamoon wrote to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday appealing for help to secure his son's freedom.
Contacted yesterday, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Dookeran said, via text message: "We have sought contact with Saudi authorities on the matter."
Asked why someone would embark on such a damaging move threatening his son's freedom and that of his family, Shamoon called on local authorities to probe what he claimed was the "malicious intent" by some to land his son in trouble.
Shamoon speculated that it might even be rival students in Trinidad who were behind the plot.
Revealing that his son, as well as his own family, had been visited by officials from the Ministry of National Security in June and questioned in relation with the matter, Shamoon said while they were grateful Tariq had been given the opportunity to study in Saudi Arabia, he wanted the principles of fair play and justice applied as his son was an international student who had been mistakenly identified as a terrorist.
Shamoon said his son and wife had been traveling with a large sum of cash in order to pay for their personal expenses which included food, housing, medical bills and to purchase household items from that country for relatives in T&T.