Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Riyadh (Fides Service) - There are new hopes for the release of Indian born Brian Savio O’Connor, a Catholic working in Saudi Arabia arrested and imprisoned because of his faith earlier this year. Daniel Hoffman, director of Middle East Concern which monitors the situation of Christians in Arab countries told Fides that about a month ago a delegation of two members of the Indian embassy in Riyadh were allowed to visit O’Connor in prison and they found him in fairly good psychological and physical condition.
That visit was followed by another on the part of a member of the office of Prince Salman Ibn Abdul Aziz, governor of Riyadh. According to Middle East Concern the governor’s representative assured O’Connor that in a short while he would be released and repatriated to India.
In April the Indian Embassy to Saudi Arabia wrote to the government requesting the reason for O’Connor’s arrest, but there was no reply. O’Connor is charged with being found in possession of alcohol and drugs (a claim denied by the family) and to have preached Christianity .
O’Connor was arrested in March in Riyadh by the religious police muttawa. He was beaten and tortured and threatened with death unless he abjured his Christian faith. An international chain campaign for his release started in India has spread through Europe and America.
(PA) (Agenzia Fides 1/9/2004 lines 21 words 256)
