Karl Andree: Saudi to release UK man facing lashes

[webfact]

Karl Andree: Saudi To Release Man Facing Lashes

The 74-year-old's family thought the punishment for being caught with alcohol could kill him - but soon he'll be back in the UK

LONDON: -- The British grandfather who was facing 350 lashes in Saudi Arabia will be released within a week, the Foreign Secretary has said.

Karl Andree was facing the punishment after being caught with homemade wine in his car, breaching the country's ban on alcohol.

Philip Hammond confirmed the release of the 74-year-old during a visit to the country where he met the Saudi king.

"I'm pleased to be able to say I have heard this morning that the public prosecutor is in the final stages of completing the necessary processes that will lead to Mr Andree's release and return to the UK, we expect, within the next week," he said.

Mr Andree was sentenced to 12 months in jail by a Sharia court last year - a sentence he has served.

Full story: http://news.sky.com/story/1577750/karl-andree-saudi-to-release-man-facing-lashes

-- skyNEWS 2015-10-29

[Chicog]

Lucky boy. Be thankful for all the publicity.

[daoyai]

I bet a trip to the local pub is on his short list upon return to civilization.

[mrbojangles]

Lucky boy. Be thankful for all the publicity.

When he gets back to the UK I wonder if he will let the truth out and it wasn't a simple case of a little home made wine in his car.

Several expats have been let off from having a lashing this year alone. Several pardon's were granted over Ramdan etc.

[jomcondo]

meanwhile the house of sodomy are smuggling 2 tons of amphetamines from lebanon

[Andaman Al]

And in exchange the Saudi's are now lobbying the British Government to help get a Saudi Prince out of jail in the Lebanon currently held on their biggest airport drug bust ever.

[Chicog]

Maybe a modicum of embarrassment there

[ggt]

They could have just confiscated the homemade wine and drank it while buggering young boys from their neighborhood...Muslim hypocrisy exceeds even that of Christians and Buddhists... IMHO

[Chicog]

They could have just confiscated the homemade wine and drank it while buggering young boys from their neighborhood...Muslim hypocrisy exceeds even that of Christians and Buddhists... IMHO

Who said they didn't?

[Bignose]

A very lucky man, but I can't help but feel that the pardons may well be running out.

It may only be a matter of time before the first westerner actually has to endure a flogging, even if it's only as an example to the other expats still there.

I personally would rather do without the grog for whatever time I had left there, it's just not worth the risk...

[jacko45k]

I bet a trip to the local pub is on his short list upon return to civilization.

Not in his car I hope, he should have learned that lesson!

[GOLDBUGGY]

I bet he wasn't happy to serve his time as this news article says. One year in a Saudi Prison, when he may only have 10 good years of his life left, or less left, just because he had a bottle of home made wine in his car trunk.

If for religious reasons they don't want to drink alcohol or eat pork, and prefer to pray 5 times a day, then I say fine, and up-to-you. I won't force you to do different. So I don't get why they try to force Christians to be different. Jesus Christ was drinking wine at the last supper, so how wrong can that be?

[Naam]

I bet he wasn't happy to serve his time as this news article says. One year in a Saudi Prison, when he may only have 10 good years of his life left, or less left, just because he had a bottle of home made wine in his car trunk.

If for religious reasons they don't want to drink alcohol or eat pork, and prefer to pray 5 times a day, then I say fine, and up-to-you. I won't force you to do different. So I don't get why they try to force Christians to be different. Jesus Christ was drinking wine at the last supper, so how wrong can that be?

only very naïve people believe he had "one bottle of wine in his trunk"

[chuckd]

My guess is he had one or more cases of green pop-top bottles filled with wine and was taking it to some destination for sale.

One doesn't get one year in prison for one bottle.

Utter nonsense to believe otherwise.

[lee b]

A very lucky man, but I can't help but feel that the pardons may well be running out.

It may only be a matter of time before the first westerner actually has to endure a flogging, even if it's only as an example to the other expats still there.

I personally would rather do without the grog for whatever time I had left there, it's just not worth the risk...

Or on the other hand you could just refuse to go to such a stupid bent backward country in the first place.

[cookee68]

Muslim laws, <deleted>

[Naam]

A very lucky man, but I can't help but feel that the pardons may well be running out.

It may only be a matter of time before the first westerner actually has to endure a flogging, even if it's only as an example to the other expats still there.

I personally would rather do without the grog for whatever time I had left there, it's just not worth the risk...

Or on the other hand you could just refuse to go to such a stupid bent backward country in the first place.

must be interesting to see a country bending backwards

[Bigfarang1948]

A very lucky man, but I can't help but feel that the pardons may well be running out.

It may only be a matter of time before the first westerner actually has to endure a flogging, even if it's only as an example to the other expats still there.

I personally would rather do without the grog for whatever time I had left there, it's just not worth the risk...

I had the misfortune of working south of Jeddha a lifetime ago, at a desalination plant cum prison without walls. My boss would come over from the Other side of the country once a month, with a few gallons of moonshine in his car. He was connected and knew who to pay money or booze to, usually booze, to the checkpoint guards so he was never searched. The Saudis he was friends with at the desal plant drank as much as he did. It was the worst rot gut swhisky I have ever tasted!!!! As an Irishman I was embarrassed they called it whisky!