Saudi Arabia imprisons, deports 35 Christians
August 07, 2012
Saudi Arabia has deported 35 Ethiopian Christians following seven months of imprisonment.
The six men and 29 women were arrested after police stormed a prayer vigil at a private residence in Jeddah, the nation’s second largest city, in December.
“The Saudi officials don’t tolerate any other religions other than Islam,” said one of the Ethiopians upon his release. “They consider non-Muslims as unbelievers. They are full of hatred towards non-Muslims.”
“Some of the men detained have alleged that they were physically abused during interrogations and the female detainees reportedly were subjected to intrusive and humiliating body cavity searches,” the US Commission on International Religious Freedom noted in a press release.
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Further information:
- Riyadh deports 35 Ethiopian Christians for praying (Jerusalem Post)
- Saudi Arabia: USCIRF Urges Release of Prisoners (USCIRF)
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