Writer Hamza Kashgari Handed Over to Saudis for ‘Blasphemous’ Tweets

Source: The Daily Beast

Hamza Kashgari is on his way back to Saudi Arabia after fleeing a firestorm over tweets about the Prophet Muhammad. Human-rights groups say he may be put to his death.

Hamza Kashgari, the young Saudi writer who fled to Malaysia last week under threat of arrest for tweeting about the Prophet Muhammad, was deported this morning. He is likely to face charges for apostasy, which is punishable by death. 

Malaysian authorities confirmed Sunday morning that Kashgari was handed over to Saudi authorities, who transported him back to Saudi Arabia on a private plane. The deportation came over objections from human-rights groups and a claim by Kashgari’s lawyer that he had obtained a court order blocking the deportation. “I expect Kashgari to be taken into custody in Saudi Arabia and put on trial,” says Christoph Wilcke, a senior Middle East researcher at Human Rights Watch. “Since Saudi government clerics have already condemned him as an apostate and called for his execution, it is highly improbable he can have a fair hearing.”

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