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February 3, 2016

Saudi Arabia: Court Lifts Death Sentence, Imposes Lashes for Palestinian Poet
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In Saudi Arabia, a court has overturned the death sentence against
Palestinian poet Ashraf Fayadh, instead sentencing him to eight years in
prison. Fayadh will also be subjected to 800 lashes, to be carried out
over 16 occasions, and forced to renounce his poetry publicly. Fayadh
had previously been convicted of apostasy and sentenced to beheading,
sparking an international outcry among fellow artists.


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