Saudi Arabia deports jailed Indian Christian expatriate

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Nov. 7, 2004 – In a sudden turnaround of events, Indian expatriate Christian Brian O’Connor, who was jailed in Saudi Arabia on false charges of bootlegging, drug trafficking, preaching Christianity and possession of ‘pornographic’ videos, was ordered to be unconditionally freed and deported back to India on November 1.

Brian Savio O’Connor, a devout Christian hailing from Karnataka, was incarcerated in jail in Riyadh since March of this year following his abduction and torture by Saudi religious police, the Muttawa. During his detention, his father and sister passed away. According to news sources, Brian said that during his seven months in prison however, he was able to lead twenty–one fellow prisoners to faith in Jesus Christ. "I was there for a purpose," he was quoted as saying.

A colleague of Brian, who was employed in the luggage department of Saudi Arabia’s national airline, visited the latter in prison and exclaimed that “the greying hair and beard made Brian look much older than his 36 years”.

Brian’s first trial was held in September and on October 20, a Saudi court in Deerah, near Riyadh, sentenced Brian to ten months in prison and 300 lashes for illegally selling “alcoholic beverages”, according to news reports. Executives at the El Khereji Corporation, where Brian worked as a cargo agent for Saudi Airlines for over six years, declared that the allegations against Brian are a “cover–up” for the real reason of his arrest. Sources say it is very typical for Saudi authorities to mask their zero–tolerance policy regarding other religions in the heavily Islamic state by presenting false charges in addition to proselytization charges.

In the October 20 court hearing, the judges found him guilty of selling alcohol but dropped other charges including drug use, evangelization and possession of pornographic videos.

After reading the sentence, the court asked Brian if he accepted this decision and the court even offered him 10 days to think about their “offer.”

However, Brian refused the verdict thus appealing the decision. The judge then warned him that his refusal would send his case up to the high court. Such an appeal process would delay even further the settlement of his case, he was told, possibly resulting in an even harsher penalty if he was still found “guilty.”

At that time, Middle East Concern (MEC) sources stated that Brian’s file had been moved to the “Departure” section of Olaya prison indicating that he might be expelled from the country after Ramadan.

According to news sources, subsequently on Oct. 30, Brian was told without explanation that he was being processed for immediate deportation. However, after he was released from his cell that evening, prison officials said it was not possible to return to him the money confiscated from him at the time of his arrest.

When Brian insisted that the cash be returned to him, an official asked him, “So do you want to leave for the airport, or do you want your money back?”
“I told him I wanted both,” Brian shared with the press later. “That is the Lord’s money, and it should be used for Him.” To the officials’ amazement, Brian calmly walked back into his cell, waiting out another two days in jail until the next scheduled flight, when his money was returned to him.

Apparently, the Saudi court had dropped all the charges and acquitted Brian and he dropped his appeal – all as part of the deal leading to his deportation.

On November 1, 2004, Brian was taken to Riyadh airport under tight police security, where he was allowed to embrace friends who had come hoping to see him off. He was then taken through the cargo entrance to the departure lounge where he mingled freely with other passengers. He was met at Mumbai airport by Indian Christian friends who had previously worked in the strict Islamic nation.

“It’s a miracle,” Brian informed the press over the telephone from his aunt’s home near Mumbai. “God has been working miracles in my life, and He will continue doing this!” It was Brian’s first reunion with his family since April 1998, when he went to work in Saudi Arabia. "And on the flight home today, I shared with another man who prayed with me to receive Christ."

Brian said he was deported unconditionally by Saudi authorities, who discharged him from Al–Hair Prison and transferred him to the Riyadh airport terminal.
His handcuffs were removed while airport officials handled his immigration and airline check–in procedures, and police allowed him to get off the prison bus to greet friends who had gathered, hoping to see him off.

After being escorted through the terminal’s departure gate, Brian was treated as an ordinary passenger, and was allowed to mingle freely with other travelers.
Brian O’Connor’s release follows an international campaign on his behalf led by International Christian Concern (ICC), Middle East Concern (MEC), Christian Aid, Voice of the Martyrs (VOM), AsiaNews and Dr. John Dayal, Secretary General of the All India Christian Council (AICC).

In fact, within months of Brian’s arrest and detention, Dr. Dayal wrote a letter to Saudi King Fahd bin Abdulaziz Al Saud asking that his compatriot be given a “fair trial”. Around the same time, an international campaign in favour of Mr O’Connor was launched by several Christian and Human Rights organizations. Thousands of Christians from around the world sent postcards pledging support to the imprisoned Indian. It is reported that the Saudi authorities were not pleased at the campaign in favour of a Christian jailed on religious grounds. In Saudi Arabia there is no real freedom for any religion other than Islam.

“Christians in Saudi Arabia are fully supportive of Brian’s claims,” the Christian advocacy group MEC noted in a release recently. Although O’Connor has firmly denied the liquor and pornography charges, he had freely admitted worshipping with other Christians in his home.

Condemning that no mention was made of the previous religious charges brought before the Indian native, ICC said, “This omission clearly illustrates the willingness of Saudi authorities to cover up their religious intolerance.”

ICC, which first reported on O’Connor’s arrest and subsequent torture by the Saudi religious police in March, was informed over the weekend of O’Connor’s release.

“Brian's release highlights the power of advocacy and we thank all the individuals that made calls on his behalf to the Saudi embassy and to members of US Congress,” the Washington DC–based group stated.

Following the Court’s sentence in October, All India Christian Council Secy. Gen. John Dayal promptly wrote an appeal to Saudi King Fahd bin Abdulaziz al–Saud asking him to “give clemency to O’Connor” and urged the Saudi government to “release this Indian citizen who has already suffered much”.

“We are certain,” Dr. Dayal said in the letter, that “we will not be disappointed in this appeal for mercy and justice in the name of universal brotherhood, human dignity and the friendly relations between the two countries, India and Saudi Arabia.” John Dayal is also the President of the All India Catholic Union (which represent India’s 16 million Catholics).

In the letter to the Saudi king, Dr. Dayal stated that O’Connor’s “employers have declared that the allegations against their employee are not valid” even though they acknowledged that he is a practicing Christian.

"Brian's arrest and now the sentence of a jail term and lashing have caused deep concern amongst the Christian community in India and the Indian community abroad," Dayal said in a letter that he had also addressed to Indian President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam regarding the matter.

“Brian,” Dr. Dayal wrote, “has no criminal record at home or abroad, and has been arrested, we feel, just for his religious convictions.”

Subsequently, when the news of release of Brian reached Dr. Dayal, he expressed his joy and stated that Brian’s case will stand as an “example” where justice prevails for years to come. However, he also cautioned that we must not remain complacent and rather be more urgent in impressing upon the Indian government to act “with greater speed in extending aid to Indians arrested abroad on false charges.”

Recently, the United States had slammed down heavily on Saudi Arabia by naming it as a country that severely violated religious freedom, and added it to the list of countries which are of “particular concern” under the International Religious Freedom Act, potentially subjecting the close U.S. ally to sanctions.

“Freedom of religion does not exist” in Saudi Arabia, the U.S. State Department blatantly stated in its sixth annual report on International Religious Freedom that examines the “status of religious freedom around the world.” “Freedom of religion is not recognized or protected under the country’s laws and basic religious freedoms are denied to all but those who adhere to the state–sanctioned version of Sunni Islam,” the report said, adding that “non–Muslim worshippers risk arrest, imprisonment, lashing, deportation and sometimes torture.” The report on international religious freedom accused Riyadh of backing anti–Jewish and anti–Christian campaigns and torturing non–Muslims.

It noted that those who don’t practice Salafi or Wahhabi Islam could face severe repercussions at the hands of the religious police, Muttawa. The country’s Shiite–Muslim minority faced discrimination and restrictions on the practice of their faith, the report added. It also noted that the government prohibits public non–Muslim religious activities.

“Non–Muslim worshippers risk arrest, imprisonment, lashing, deportation, and sometimes torture for engaging in religious activity that attracts official attention,” it said. “Proselytizing by non–Muslims, including the distribution of non–Muslim religious materials such as Bibles, is illegal.”

The Saudi government has come under heavy diplomatic pressure recently not to punish a foreign national for practicing his faith.