(June 9, 2012, Christian Today)--Over the past month, Saudi Arabian officials have been making
conflicting statements about why a group of 35 Ethiopian Christians were
arrested at a prayer service in a private home in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia,
last December.
International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that the statements were made over a period of several weeks after staff members from multiple Congressional offices began calling the Saudi embassy in Washington DC to inquire into the situation.
On 7 May, a Congressional office told ICC that a source close to the Saudi ambassador had indicated the Christians were arrested as part of an investigation into a large scale human smuggling ring. ICC says this explanation contradicted the original rationale published by Human Rights Watch in January that the group had been accused of the "illicit mingling of genders".
Three days later, Sarah Nezamuddin, a representative from the Embassy, told a separate Congressional office that the Christians had all been arrested for having issues with their work permits.
ICC proceeded to provide a list of the prisoners with legal work permit numbers to the Congressional office, and after some follow up, Ms Nezamuddin changed the explanation and said that the Christians were involved in both drug and human trafficking. Read more from Christian Today »
International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that the statements were made over a period of several weeks after staff members from multiple Congressional offices began calling the Saudi embassy in Washington DC to inquire into the situation.
On 7 May, a Congressional office told ICC that a source close to the Saudi ambassador had indicated the Christians were arrested as part of an investigation into a large scale human smuggling ring. ICC says this explanation contradicted the original rationale published by Human Rights Watch in January that the group had been accused of the "illicit mingling of genders".
Three days later, Sarah Nezamuddin, a representative from the Embassy, told a separate Congressional office that the Christians had all been arrested for having issues with their work permits.
ICC proceeded to provide a list of the prisoners with legal work permit numbers to the Congressional office, and after some follow up, Ms Nezamuddin changed the explanation and said that the Christians were involved in both drug and human trafficking. Read more from Christian Today »
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