JEDDAH: Criminal charges against the man who declared himself “The awaited Mahdi” last week have been dropped and he will now be deported. This comes after he was diagnosed with a mental illness by a committee at the Mental Hospital in Taif. The medical report received by the Bureau of Investigation and Prosecution (BIP) in Makkah region said that the Umrah pilgrim suffers from a psychiatric disorder which had resulted in his misconduct. The BIP decided to exempt him from criminal responsibility. He will be deported to his country for further psychiatric treatment. The Arab national had claimed last week that he was “The awaited Mahdi” on the microphone he had snatched from before Sheikh Abdullah Bin Awwad Al-Johani, Imam of the Grand Mosque in Makkah during afternoon (Asr) prayer. The man was immediately arrested. He was referred to the BIP, which in turn wanted a medical report on his mental condition from the hospital in Taif.
