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| Version 6 | Version 7 |
|---|---|
| Briton Karl Andree 'to be released from Saudi prison' | Briton Karl Andree 'to be released from Saudi prison' |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A British man who was imprisoned for possessing alcohol in Saudi Arabia will be released within a week, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has said. | A British man who was imprisoned for possessing alcohol in Saudi Arabia will be released within a week, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has said. |
| Karl Andree, 74, was arrested by Saudi religious police after being found in possession of homemade wine. | Karl Andree, 74, was arrested by Saudi religious police after being found in possession of homemade wine. |
| He has been in prison for more than a year and his family feared he would also be flogged, although Saudi officials denied this would happen. | He has been in prison for more than a year and his family feared he would also be flogged, although Saudi officials denied this would happen. |
| Mr Hammond tweeted of his "delight" that Mr Andree was getting released. | Mr Hammond tweeted of his "delight" that Mr Andree was getting released. |
| The full tweet said: "Delighted to announce Brit Karl Andree will be released from Saudi custody within a week & reunited with his family." | The full tweet said: "Delighted to announce Brit Karl Andree will be released from Saudi custody within a week & reunited with his family." |
| Son 'thrilled' | |
| Mr Andree's family have previously made media appeals calling for his release, and they feared he would die if he received the 360 lashes he was sentenced to. | |
| Simon Andree said he was "absolutely thrilled" at the news his father would be released. | |
| Mr Hammond said: "This is a good outcome and I'm grateful to minister Al-Jubeir and all other people who have been involved, especially His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, for ensuring that we now have a good outcome." | |
| Prime Minister David Cameron had raised the case with officials in Saudi Arabia - where alcohol is illegal. | |
| Mr Hammond is currently visiting Saudi Arabia, at a time of heightened scrutiny of the UK's relationship with the country. | |
| Saudi Arabia has long been accused of human rights abuses, and has come under pressure from the UK over its treatment of both expats and Saudi nationals who have fallen foul of the country's Islamic laws. | |
| The UK recently cancelled a £5.9m deal to provide "training needs analysis" for Saudi prison service staff. | |
| The Saudi ambassador to the UK - Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf bin Abdulaziz - has previously warned of serious repercussions over what he described as an "alarming change" in the UK's attitude towards Saudi Arabia. | |
| BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner said Mr Hammond's visit was intended to "smooth ruffled feathers" because Saudi Arabia is an "enormously important" partner for the UK in terms of trade, intelligence and defence. |