Sara C Nelson The Huffington Post UK

A Palestinian poet and artist has reportedly been sentenced to death by a Saudi Arabian court for abandoning his Muslim faith.
Ashraf Fayadh was first detained by the country’s religious police in 2013 and then rearrested and tried in May 2014.
The court sentenced him to four years in prison and 800 lashes, but an appeal saw a different judge pass a death sentence on Fayadh three days ago, Reuters reports.

Adam Coogle, the Middle East researcher for Human Rights Watch told the agency: “I have read the trial documents from the lower court verdict in 2014 and another one from 17 November. It is very clear he has been sentenced to death for apostasy.”
Fayadh’s conviction is based on a complaints about his 2008 poetry collection Instructions Within and from a prosecution witness who claimed to have heard him cursing God, Islam’s Prophet Mohammad and Saudi Arabia, which is a Gulf Kingdom governed by Sharia law.
He told the newspaper: “They accused me [of] atheism and spreading some destructive thoughts into society.”
Of his poetry book he said it was: “Just about me being [a] Palestinian refugee … about cultural and philosophical issues. But the religious extremists explained it as destructive ideas against God.”
He added: “I was really shocked but it was expected, though I didn’t do anything that deserves death.”
Journalist activist Mona Kareem has been leading a campaign to free Fayadh, who has no legal representation and just 30 days to appeal his sentence.
She tweeted Fayahd has been tried “with fabricated evidence and testimonies”.
A blog by Brian Whitaker published on Al Abab adds: “Fayadh is also said to have angered the religious authorities by having long hair, smoking, and filming the public flogging of a young man in Abha.”
An online petition is calling for Fayadh to be freed.
7 Questions Prince Charles Should Ask While In Saudi Arabia (But Probably Won't)
  • 1 When will women be allowed to make their own choices?
    ASSOCIATED PRESS
    Saudi women and girls can not travel, conduct business and even undergo certain medical procedures without the permission of their male guardians. The guardianship system remains in force despite the government pledging to get rid of it.
  • 2 When will women be subject to the same laws that govern men?
    FAYEZ NURELDINE via Getty Images
    Women are still barred from driving and are subject to strict clothing requirements in public. A women cannot unilaterally divorce her husband and will often face discrimination when attempting to obtain custody of children.
  • 3 When will migrant workers be treated fairly?
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    There are over 9 million migrant workers in Saudi Arabia many working in conditions tantamount to slavery. A sponsorship system is open to abuse from employers who often enforce work by withholding passports and wages.
  • 4 When will Saudi Arabia stop executing people including children?
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    Saudi Arabia routinely imposes the death penalty and performs sentences in public. Children can be tried and sentenced if any physical signs of puberty are evident.
  • 5 When will people be allowed to worship who they please?
    ASSOCIATED PRESS
    Public worship of any religion other than Islam is not tolerated in Saudi Arabia. Additionally, religious minorities are also targeted including those within Islam such as Twelver Shia.
  • 6 When will women be able access sports?
    ASSOCIATED PRESS
    Saudi Arabia's Shura Council is only just contemplating the possibility of allowing girls to have physical education lessons in schools. Recently a Saudi Arabian official suggested the country would hold a segregated Olympics.
  • 7 When will you stop imprisoning people for defending human rights?
    NICHOLAS KAMM via Getty Images
    Saudi Arabia routinely detains and imprisons activists. Human rights lawyer Waleed Abu al-Khair was jailed for 15 years after assisting international media cover the 2011 protests in Eastern Province. His wife is now also subject to a travel ban after calling for his release.