Ethiopians on death row in Saudi Arabia: Prisoners calling the BBC from their cells - BBC News

Dozens of Ethiopians are awaiting execution - some called the BBC to tell their stories.

Image caption, Some Ethiopian inmates got hold of the number for the BBC Tigrinya service and called from a prison phone to tell their stories

There was desperation in the voice of the young Ethiopian man when he managed to get through to the BBC from a phone in his prison cell on death row in Saudi Arabia.

Habtom, whose name - like the other prisoner featured in this article - has been changed to protect his identity, has been held in a jail in the southern city of Khamis Mushait for more than three years.

Above the noise of cellmates shouting behind him, he pleaded for help and sounded angry that his government appeared to be doing little to change his fate.

"One prisoner cannot comfort another. We have no choice but to cry. We are waiting for our turn, even though we do not know when it will happen," said Habtom.