UPDATE:
Hamza Kasghgari has been unlawfully extradited to Saudi Arabia on the 12th of February. We here by demand that the Saudi government ends the illegal detention of Hamza Kasghgari and drop all accusations of blasphemy against him and not subject him to any trial where the death penalty is inevitable if he is convicted.
Human Right Watch on the extradition: http://www.hrw.org/news/2012/02/13/saudi-arabia-writer-faces-apostasy-trial
Islamic Renaissance Front statement: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/sideviews/article/justice-for-hamza-kashgari-a-sad-day-to-be-malaysians-and-muslims-islamic-renaissance-front/
Deportation news: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-17008738
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A young Saudi writer, Hamza Kashgari, has fled the country for fear for his safety after receiving many death threats through the social media (Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, etc.) Hamza is now detained by the Malaysian government after the King of Saudi Arabia requested his extradition to Saudi. We beg of you to help us prevent his extradition to Saudi Arabia, as this may threaten his life.
The story started on Saturday (04-02-2012), when Hamza wrote three tweets regarding Prophet Mohammed's birthday (considered a religious day, albeit one frowned upon by the Wahhabi establishment).
More on the story:
https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1o8V8G9jUjdy2qaWO3oqHbIOc2-699qXStwXlcojMuI8 Reactions:
Anger quickly exploded on Twitter with people claiming how offensive these tweets were to the Prophet (insulting the Prophet is crime punishable by death in Islamic law.) Within the same day, Hamza had deleted the tweets and apologized if his tweets offended anyone, and expressed that he only meant good.
The next day, with death threats mounting, Hamza issued a letter of full repentance, renouncing all his former beliefs that he was accused for. After that he fled Saudi Arabia, managing to escape the warrant for his arrest by a few hours. He remained free as of my last contact but was eventually detained by Malaysian authorities. The issue has gone public in Saudi Arabia since the beginning as many popular religious figures have called for his prosecution and asked people to send letters to Prince Naif and Prince Salman complaining that something must be done.&
Publications in media on Hamza Amnesty International
http://amnesty.org/en/for-media/press-releases/death-penalty-fear-tweeter-facing-forcible-return-saudi-arabia-malaysia-201 Human Right Watch
http://www.hrw.org/news/2012/02/10/malaysia-don-t-send-saudi-back The Washington Post:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/blogpost/post/saudi-bloggers-tweets-about-prophet-muhammad-stir-islamists-to-call-for-his-execution/2012/02/09/gIQATqbc1Q_blog.html?tid=sm_btn_fb&socialreader_check=0&denied=1 The Daily Beast's story:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/02/08/twitter-aflame-with-fatwa-against-saudi-writer-hamza-kashgari.htmlWe, the undersigned, hereby demand:
The compliance of the Saudi authorities to immediately release Hamza from illegal detention and not subject him to a pre-determined trial for the charges of blasphemy. Hamza's right for free expression is supported by conscious citizens and (Amnesty. Lawyers for Liberty. Frontline Defenders. Human Rights Watch. Freedom House. CPJ Committee for Protecting Journalists)
