Ethiopian security authorities have released three Saudi men who were held there for 14 days, their families said Sunday. Ethiopian authorities and the Saudi Embassy in Addis Ababa, the nation's capital, acted after Saudi Gazette published news Sunday that the men had gone on a hunger strike to protest being held illegally for 13 days after authorities stormed a house adjacent to the one where they were staying. The families of the three Saudis, Abdullah Al-Qumishan, 35; Ahmad Al-Qumishan, 27; and Saeed Al-Qumishan, 22, confirmed that the men called them from the Saudi Embassy in Addis Ababa on Sunday and reassured them about their health. Khaleel Adammaoui, senior official at the Kingdom's Embassy, said no charges have been leveled against the three youths and it has been proven that they were not involved in any cases. Before the men were released, Musa'ed Al-Qumishan, a cousin of the three men, said Ethiopian security officials told him that they were not found to be involved in any criminal activity, but officials were waiting for Ethiopian intelligence authorities to approve their release. The health of the three began to deteriorate as they started the hunger strike, he added. Adammaoui called on citizens visiting Ethiopia to not stay in suspicious areas and seek help from the embassy if they are unsure about where to stay. Wanted criminals from Ethiopia and Somalia are believed to find shelter in small service rooms in the backyards of some houses rented by tourists from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf area, Adammaoui said. He stressed that the embassy provides legal support to citizens and its officials make daily visits to check on detainees.
