CHRISTIAN, BRIAN O’CONNOR,
TORCHURED AND
SENTENCED BY SAUDI ARABIAN COURT
FOR SPREADING CHRISTIANITY
He gets 10 months in jail and 300 lashes
By Dan Wooding
WASHINGTON, DC (ANS) -- The
Washington-DC based human rights group, International Christian Concern
(ICC – www.persecution.org)
says that it h has learned that Brian O’Connor, an Indian ex-patriot
residing in Saudi Arabia, was sentenced by a Saudi Arabian court on
Wednesday, October 20.
An ICC spokesperson said, “The Saudi court sentenced
O’Connor to ‘10 months in jail and 300 lashes,’ and warned him of
harsher penalties for appealing the case.”
O’Connor was originally arrested on March 25, 2004 for “spreading
Christianity” by Saudi Arabia’s religious police known as the Muttawa.
According to reports ICC received from visitors, the young Indian
native was immediately tortured by police following his
arrest. O’Connor’s legs were first chained and he was hung upside
down when the “Muttawa came in turns of four and kicked
[Brian] in the chest and rib area” continuously until 2 a.m.
“After enduring months in a Saudi prison, O’Connor was taken to court
in late September for a brief, 90 minute hearing,” said the ICC
spokesperson. “Charges brought against Brian O’Connor included selling
alcohol and possession of pornography, in addition to spreading
Christianity. Executives at his employer declared that the allegations
against their employee are a “cover-up” for the real reason for his
arrest. 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.
“No mention was made of the religious charges brought before O’Connor
in his latest hearing, where he was sentenced to 10 months in jail and
300 lashes. This omission clearly illustrates the willingness of Saudi
authorities to cover up their religious intolerance. The court then
asked O’Connor to respond to his sentence, at which point he stated
that he did not agree to this sentence. Court officials replied that
his case would go to a higher court and added that there would be a
‘further extension of time’ and a ‘heavier sentence in case the high
court finds him guilty.” The court then offered O’Connor 10 days to
think about their ‘offer,’ but he refused.
“This case is only the latest in a long string of attacks on
religious freedom in Saudi Arabia, which caused the U.S. State
Department to list them as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) in
their latest report on religious freedom. ICC finds the actions of the
Saudi Arabian judicial system to be outrageous and calls on all
Americans to contact their Congressional representative and voice
concern over this latest action to the Saudi embassy as well.”
Dan Wooding is an award
winning British journalist now living in Southern California with his
wife Norma. He is the founder and international director of ASSIST (Aid
to Special Saints in Strategic Times) and the ASSIST News Service
(ANS). Wooding is the co-host of the weekly radio show, "Window on the
World" and was, for ten years a commentator, on the UPI Radio Network
in Washington, DC. Wooding is the author of some 42 books, the latest
of which is his autobiography, "From Tabloid to Truth", which is
published by Theatron Books. To order a copy, go to www.fromtabloidtotruth.com.
- danjuma1@aol.com.
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ASSIST News Service (ANS) - PO Box 2126, Garden Grove, CA
92842-2126 USA
E-mail: danjuma1@aol.com, Web
Site: www.assistnews.net
Monday,
October 25, 2004
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