In November of 2015, he was arrested as a refugee in Saudi Arabia for apostasy, defined as abandoningIslam. In addition to his collection of poems, Instructions Within, testimony was given that he was overheard cursing God, the Prophet Mohammed and Saudi Arabia. The testimony came from an unnamed witness and two members of the Mutaween, Saudi Arabia's religious police force. Fayadh denies these accusations, stating that he is still a practicing Muslim. Additional evidence included the length of his hair, smoking cigarettes, and Instagram pictures of the poet with other female artists.