Church of England Bishops have written to Saudi Arabian leader Mohammed bin Salman and UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, highlighting the plight of Ethiopian nationals who have been sentenced to death for drug offences following unfair trials in Saudi Arabia.
Three of the UK’s leading religious figures, the Bishops of Chelmsford, Winchester and Southwark, signed a letter coordinated by Reprieve, urging Miliband to intervene in the cases of the men, many of whom were fleeing violence in the Tigray region of Ethiopia and are likely victims of trafficking.
Once arrested, they were provided with no translation services, no legal representation, and were forced to sign documents written in Arabic during interrogation that they did not understand.
The men have also detailed religious persecution at the hands of the Saudi authorities. Many of the men identify as Ethiopian Orthodox Christians, and have said they had their crosses forcibly removed, suffered beatings, and were banned from mentioning their religion in court.
Along with calling for the Foreign Secretary to intervene in the cases of the men, the letter also calls on Mohammed bin Salman to stand by the commitments he made to religious freedom in the Kingdom when meeting the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, in 2018.
Read the full story by the Telegraph’s Home Affairs editor, Charles Hymas, on their website.
