Apostate poet escapes death penalty
A Saudi Arabian court has overturned the death sentence of a Palestinian poet convicted of apostasy. Ashraf Fayadh was instead sentenced to eight years in prison and 800 lashes, his lawyer said.
The charge apparently related to his collection of poetry, Instructions Within, published in 2008, which critics said questioned religion and spread atheist thought. Mr Fayadh, 35, was also charged with violating Saudi Arabia's anti-cyber crime law by taking and storing photos of women on his mobile phone.
Mr Fayadh has denied the charges, claiming that another man had made false accusations against him. Mr Fayadh, who was born in Saudi Arabia to Palestinian refugee parents, is credited with taking Saudi contemporary art to a global audience.
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