Blasphemous barber gets new hearing in Saudi

A Turkish barber who was sentenced to death by a Jeddah court on charges of blasphemy will have his case heard in an Appeals Court in Mecca next week, press reports said.

Sabri Bogday was sentenced to die after two men told authorities that he had sworn at God and the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) at his barbershop in Jeddah early last year, Saudi's English-language daily Arab News reported.

Bogday admitted to his crime at Jeddah General Court last June and did not challenge the men's testimonies. But at the final court hearing, he denied that he swore at God and the Prophet. He was sentenced to die on March 31.

Arab News said the death sentence was based on a “hadd” ruling -- a clear verdict based on laws from the Quran and Sunnah -- meaning King Abdullah would not be able to intervene and issue a pardon.

Hussein Al-Sharif, head of the National Human Rights Society (NSHR) for Mecca Province, told Arab News that he hopes the Turkish Consulate will assign Bogday a lawyer for the appeal.

“The verdict is primary and not final," Al-Sharif said, adding that three more stages are required before an execution can take place, including the Appeals Court, the Supreme Judicial Council, and King Abdullah's final approval.

Al-Sharif, who is also a professor of law at King Abdulaziz University, said the NSHR would send a representative to visit Bogday in prison to get first hand information as soon as possible.