a month for leading a private Christian worship service in the capital Riyadh, but many other believers remain in jail, a Christian news agency reported Monday, June 20. Compass Direct, which investigates the plight of persecuted Christians, said the three Ethiopians and two Eritreans have been given no indication that they will lose their jobs or be subjected to deportation as a result of their detention.
"It’s a miracle. It’s not normal here for them to be released like this and allowed to go back to their jobs," Compass Direct quoted a friend of the men as saying. "They didn’t have to notify their sponsors or anything, and they are all back at work."
News of the May 30 release only emerged Monday, June 20, apparently because Christians are closely monitored by the religious police.
MANY STILL JAILED
Human rights watchers have warned however that close to 100 foreign Christians may have been arrested in recent weeks in what International Christian Concern (ICC) described as "the largest crackdown" against believers in a decade, but warned the final figure could be in excess of 100.
"ICC is getting reports of 46 confirmed arrests of Christians, with some sources citing in excess of 100 Christians arrested," the organization said in a statement to BosNewsLife News Center earlier this month. Another source with close knowledge about the situation told BosNewsLife Wednesday, June 1, that at least almost 100 foreign Christians, including Indians, have been detained in recent days.
Saudi Arabia routinely deports foreign Christians caught meeting in their homes for worship, requiring their employers to terminate their work and residence visas. As a direct result of being arrested, jailed, fired from their jobs and evicted from the country, most of these Christians lose all their retirement benefits as well, Compass Direct and other sources have said.
"INTERROGATED EXTENSIVELY"
The news agency said before being released the East African Christians were "interrogated extensively, initially while blindfolded the first seven days." But they said they were not physically mistreated. After their first week of detention, they were housed in what one source called "a good place, not like those where most prisoners are kept."
From Riyadh, a consul official at the Ethiopian Embassy told Compass Direct Monday, June 20, that his embassy had heard nothing about the arrest and detention of these five men from the Saudi Arabian authorities.
"They are released?" consul official Yitbarek was quoted as saying. “I didn’t get any news about this until now." He reportedly confirmed that after the prisoners’ relatives informed the embassy about the arrests, his staff had visited several detention centers in an effort to locate the prisoners. "But when we sent our colleagues to find them, they weren’t there," the consul allegedly said.
SMALL HOUSE CHURCH
The five men were leaders of a small house church raided by the muttawa or, Islamic religious police, during a worship service on April 29. The 35 men, women and children present were told that their gathering was "forbidden" in the Saudi kingdom, where non-Muslim public worship is banned, Compass Direct said.
Saudi officials have denied reports that police have been arresting and torturing Pakistani, Indian and East African Christians for holding "organized religious gatherings."
However human rights watchdogs and Western diplomats have complained that although Saudi Arabia’s economy heavily depends on foreigners, expatriates are not allowed to profess their faith. There are around six million foreigners in the conservative country, which has a population of 23 million, including many Christians from Europe, North America, Asia and other Arab states, according to estimates
Under strict Saudi Arabia law, non-Muslims are not allowed to profess their faith openly. (With Stefan J. Bos, BosNewsLife Research and reports from Saudi Arabia).
