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February 26, 2013

Life Sentence for Qatari Poet Reduced to 15 Years 
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A Qatari poet initially jailed for life in prison has had his sentenced
reduced to 15 years. Mohammad al-Ajami was accused of insulting
Qatar’s emir and inciting the overthrow of the regime. He wrote a poem
inspired by the Tunisian uprising that read, in part, "We are all
Tunisia, in the face of the repressive elite." Al-Ajami has been held
largely in solitary confinement since his arrest more than a year ago.
Defense attorneys say they plan another appeal to Qatar's supreme court
to seek his immediate release.

 

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