بريطانيا تستعيد مواطنها كارل أندريه من السجون السعودية..

Quote: A British pensioner who was jailed for possessing alcohol in Saudi Arabia has returned to the UK. Karl Andree, 74, had been in prison for more than a year after he was arrested by Saudi religious police for possessing homemade wine. He told The Sun he was "emotional" to be back and was looking forward to rebuilding his life. Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said the release showed the "strength and breadth" of Anglo-Saudi relations. Mr Andree, who had been living in the country for 25 years, was transporting wine in his car in August 2014 when he was pulled over and arrested in the city Jeddah. Alcohol is illegal in Saudi Arabia. He was given a one-year prison sentence, but his family was concerned he would also receive 360 lashes for his crime. Saudi and UK officials later told the BBC "there was never any question" of Mr Andree being flogged. 'Truly humbled' Mr Andree's children launched an online petition - signed by more than 230,000 people - calling for the prime minister to intervene in Mr Andree's case. They warned the grandfather of seven - who has battled cancer and suffers from asthma - would not survive lashings. PM David Cameron previously described the case as "extremely concerning" and also raised the situation with Saudi Arabian officials. Mr Andree was eventually released on 28 October. Speaking to the Sun, he said: "I am truly humbled and will never forget the love and support of so many people in getting me home. "I am looking forward to being reunited with family and friends and rebuilding my life." Mr Hammond, who took a diplomatic trip to the country last month, said: "I'm grateful to the Saudi Arabian government for their efforts in ensuring this positive outcome, following our discussions during my visit. "It's through the strength and breadth of the relationship between our nations that we have been able to overcome a difficult issue like this."