Kingdom Kutz MediaPersecution
British Bishops Appeal to Saudi Arabia Over Ethiopian Christians on Death Row
Three Church of England bishops are asking Saudi Arabia's crown prince to halt executions of dozens of Ethiopians who say they were tortured, denied fair trials, and stripped of their crosses in custody.
Three bishops in the Church of England have written directly to Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, asking him to halt the execution of more than fifty Ethiopian nationals currently on death row in the kingdom. The letter, sent by the Bishops of Southwark, Chelmsford, and Winchester and copied to the UK Foreign Secretary, comes days after Saudi authorities executed five Ethiopian migrants for nonlethal drug offenses without what the bishops describe as due process.
Who Are the Prisoners?
The bishops say at least 58 Ethiopian nationals are under sentence of death at Khamis Mushait Prison in southwestern Saudi Arabia. Most fled conflict and instability at home in Ethiopia, and many appear to have been recruited by traffickers to carry goods across the Saudi-Yemeni border without knowing what those goods actually were. The Diocese of Chelmsford's account of the letter describes men who left home searching for work or safety and ended up used as unwitting couriers in a smuggling network they never understood.
What Happened to Them in Custody?
According to the bishops, the treatment these men received after arrest went well beyond a harsh legal system doing its job. Crosses worn around their necks were reportedly removed, and several prisoners say the open expression of their Christian faith was discouraged or banned outright while in custody. The letter states that a number of the men were tortured and pressured into signing confessions written in a language they could not read.
Human Rights Watch documented the same pattern in its own reporting on the July 27 executions, noting that Saudi Arabia has carried out a wave of drug-related executions this year with limited transparency about the legal process behind them.
Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.Hebrews 13:3 (KJV)
What Are the Bishops Asking For?
The letter does not ask Saudi Arabia to release the men outright. Instead, the bishops are calling for the death sentences of anyone convicted solely of nonlethal drug offenses to be commuted, and for a full, independent, and transparent review of every case, with proper legal representation and qualified interpretation provided throughout. Church Times reported that the bishops' appeal draws on their positions as Lords Spiritual in the House of Lords, giving the letter a formal diplomatic weight beyond a typical advocacy statement.
Ethiopia itself has seen its own church leaders speak out. Multiple Ethiopian bishops have publicly urged international intervention, describing the situation as a humanitarian crisis affecting some of their own communities' most vulnerable young men, many of whom left home with nothing more than the hope of finding steady work.
Why This Case Matters Beyond Saudi Arabia
Cases like this rarely make headlines until a formal appeal like this one forces the issue into public view. Migrant workers, often poor, often unfamiliar with the legal systems they find themselves caught in, make up a disproportionate share of the people executed each year in countries with strict drug laws. When those migrants are also Christians in a country where public expression of that faith carries its own risks, the danger compounds. The bishops' letter is a reminder that advocacy from established religious institutions can still open doors that quiet diplomacy alone cannot.
Key Takeaways
- Three Church of England bishops have written to Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman asking him to halt executions of Ethiopian nationals on death row.
- At least 58 Ethiopians are held at Khamis Mushait Prison, many reportedly recruited by traffickers as unwitting couriers.
- Prisoners say their crosses were removed, their faith was suppressed, and several were tortured into signing confessions they could not read.
- Saudi Arabia executed five Ethiopian migrants on July 27 for nonlethal drug offenses, according to Human Rights Watch.
- The bishops are asking for commuted sentences for nonlethal offenses and an independent review of every case, not a blanket release.
🙏 Pray With Us
Lord, we lift up the Ethiopian men held in Khamis Mushait Prison and every believer facing unjust judgment far from home. Give them courage to hold to their faith, give their captors hearts willing to hear reason and show mercy, and turn this appeal into real justice. Amen.
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