He never should have been in prison in the first place, and he was there for 20 months, but he’s out now, so YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS.
Supporters of Saudi writer Hamza Kashgari are celebrating his release after his imprisonment 20 months ago. His lawyer Abdulrahman Allahim said he was released early Tuesday, though there was no official confirmation from the government.
Kashgari was detained in February 2012 for allegedly blasphemous tweets. He fled to Malaysia following widespread outcry and death threats from some religious conservatives. He was extradited back to the kingdom where he was apprehended.
Remember that? He was heading for Indonesia, I think, New Zealand but he had to go via Kuala Lumpur and there the bastards grabbed him and sent him back – probably in violation of international law. Extradition is for serious shit, not made-up bullshit “blasphemy.”
Anyway, he’s out now. Enjoy your freedom, Hamza.
I believe he was headed for Australia, not Indonesia.
I believe he was going to New Zealand. Regardless, Kashgari was on a layover in Malaysia and extradited back to Saudi Arabia. A Malaysian court issued an injunction against the extradition. There’s a controversy whether Kashgari was deported before or after the issuing of the injunction. Also there was (and is) no extradition treaty between Saudi Arabia and Malaysia.
Wherever he was headed, I’m glad he’s out of prison. Free speech should be a right and his tweet was regarded as inoffensive by most educated people, regardless of their faith. This is like the people who were so bent out of shape over the film “The Last Temptation of Christ” – and that packed a much greater punch. Thank God they didn’t have the authority to lock anyone up. Hope this is an indicator that Saudi Arabia is ready to join the 21st century. Maybe even let women drive….
Congratulations, Mr Kashgari. Long may you blaspheme in peace.
Well, Saudi is investing heavily in solar electricity, so maybe they will see the light. Or perhaps they simply prefer to sell their oil instead of burning it for powering their A/C.
Second The Beautiful Void. Hear, hear!