(AsiaNews) – The Catholic Church and human rights groups are calling on the government of Pakistan to intervene on behalf of 40 Pakistani Christians arrested by the muttawa, Saudi Arabia’s religious police. In an interview with AsiaNews, Mgr Lawrence Saldanha, Archbishop of Lahore, called on the authorities to act “immediately” in order to get the release of those detained in Riyadh. “The government,” the Archbishop warns, “must treat this case without any religious discrimination and act on behalf of its citizens who are living abroad”. On April 23, 40 Pakistani Christians were arrested as they celebrated mass in a private residence in the city of Riyadh. Policemen who raided the place found Christian books and audiovisual material. In Saudi Arabia it is illegal to practice any religion other than Islam.

Archbishop Saldanha, who chairs the National Commission for Justice and Peace, has called the arrest “a serious example of religious discrimination and human rights violation” and urged the Saudi government to “respect religious freedom”.