Freedom for Briton, 74, facing Saudi lash
A BRITISH grandfather threatened with flogging for breaking Saudi Arabia’s strict anti-alcohol laws is set to be freed within a week, it was revealed yesterday.
The surprise announcement was made as Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond landed in the desert nation to mend diplomatic fences.
He confirmed that Karl Andree will be freed but last night the Foreign Office insisted no deals had been done and the break-through was a vindication of Britain’s ‘quiet diplomacy’.
Mr Andree, 74, a grandfather-of-seven, has been locked up since his arrest in Jeddah in August last year when he was caught with homemade wine.
Relations between the two countries had been severely strained after Justice Secretary Michael Gove cancelled a £5.9million contract to train prison staff in the kingdom.
But, said Mr Hammond, the ‘strength, depth and breadth’ of ties between the UK and Saudi Arabia meant officials were able to ‘achieve effective results’.
Mr Andree’s son, Simon Andree, said: ‘It is great news. I’m absolutely thrilled. Hopefully we’ll have him home next week.’
He had not been told of his father’s release beforehand but had watched Mr Hammond’s statement on television.
‘The Foreign Office called me and told me Philip Hammond was in Saudi but they didn’t tell me anything else,’ added Mr Andree. ‘I’ve been watching the TV all day waiting for the news.’
His father, an asthma sufferer who has battled cancer, has lived in the Middle East for 25 years.
His family called for his release on compassionate grounds because his wife Verity is in Britain receiving care for Alzheimer’s.
Senior officials stressed that Mr Hammond’s visit had been planned ‘for quite some time’.
However, it comes just days after the Saudi Ambassador to the UK warned of ‘potentially serious repercussions’ of a breakdown in relations with Britain and a lack of ‘mutual respect’.
The Foreign Secretary is also visiting Qatar and the United Arab Emirates to discuss regional security and the crisis in Syria.