A Palestinian poet convicted in Saudi Arabia of charges including insulting Islam now faces 800 lashes, his lawyer said on Wednesday, after a court commuted his death sentence. The case has stirred international outrage over the kingdom's harsh codes. The punishment reflects the wide authority of the ultraconservative clerics who oversee a legal system based on strict Islamic views, and effectively serve as behind-the-scenes power brokers for Saudi Arabia's Western-allied rulers. It also highlights what rights groups and others describe as a widening crackdown on perceived dissidents amid increasing uncertainty for Saudi Arabia. The...
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