Reprieve as Saudi opts to lash poet instead of executing him

Palestinian poet, Ashraf Fayadh, can now heave a sigh of relief as reprieve has come his was following a decision by a Saudi Arabian court which has overturned his death penalty but upheld his guilty verdict on a charge of apostasy.‎

According to a statement by his lawyer, Fayadh will now instead be sentenced to an eight-year jail term and 800 lashes for his crime.

Read also: 47 people executed in Saudi Arabia

“Fayadh will be lashed 800 times over 16 sessions, serve eight years in prison and must publicly declare his repentance in the media,” said his lawyer Abdulrahman al-Lahim.

Continuing, Al-Lahim said “The defense planned to appeal the court’s decision because Fayadh is innocent and should be freed.”

His initial sentence caused an international outcry following a ruling by a court in the southwestern Saudi city of Abha to sentence Fayadh to death last November on a series of blasphemy charges related to his poetry.

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