THE TELEGRAPH: Calls for new Foreign Secretary to intervene in case of 50 Ethiopians on death row
Church of England bishops have urged Ed Miliband to intervene to halt the executions and torture of Christians in Saudi Arabian jails.
Three bishops for Southwark, Chelmsford and Winchester have written to Mohammed bin Salman, the ruler of Saudi Arabia, urging him to call an immediate halt to the executions of more than 50 Ethiopian Christians currently on death row in the state.
They have also submitted their appeal to the Foreign Office seeking an intervention from Mr Miliband, the new Foreign Secretary, to save the lives of the Christian captives.
The bishops claimed there was evidence that the Ethiopians – who fled conflict in their own country – had been mistreated, with several of them tortured and forced to sign documents they could not read or understand.
Some have been convicted of smuggling cannabis into Saudi Arabia, which the bishops said was the result of criminal traffickers coercing them into transporting goods into the Arab state without full knowledge of their contents.
“We are aware of accounts from several of these men that during transfers to court hearings, Saudi police officers discovered the crosses they were wearing around their necks, forcibly removed them and physically assaulted them,” said the bishops in their letter to the Saudi ruler and Mr Miliband. » | Charles Hymas | Home Affairs Editor | Tuesday, July 28, 2026
