Panel of judges downgrades punishment for apostasy conviction to eight years in prison and 800 lashesA Saudi court has overturned the death sentence of a Palestinian poet accused of renouncing Islam,imposing an eight-year prison term and 800 lashes instead. He must also repent through an announcement in official media.
The decision by a panel of judges came after Ashraf Fayadh’s lawyer argued his conviction was seriously flawed because he was denied a just trial. In a briefing on the verdict, Abdulrahman al-Lahem said the judgment revoked the death sentence but upheld that the poet was guilty of apostasy.
Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com