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RIYADH: A Saudi journalist wanted in the kingdom for comments deemed insulting to the Prophet Mohammed was arrested after being deported from Malaysia and will face charges of blasphemy.
Hamza Kashgari, “was taken into custody as he arrived in Riyadh on Sunday night,” reported the English-language daily Arab News, citing “informed sources.”
The sources said Kashgari was accompanied by Saudi officials on his flight to King Khaled International Airport in Riyadh. He “will face charges of blasphemy” according to sources Kashgari, 23, was detained in Malaysia last week after fleeing Saudi Arabia in fear of his life after his Twitter post about the prophet sparked outrage.
Insulting the Prophet Mohammed is considered blasphemous in Islam and is a crime punishable by execution in Saudi Arabia.
Human rights groups had warned that deporting Kashgari would be akin to a death sentence and urged Muslim-majority Malaysia to free him.
A group on the online social network Facebook calling for his execution has amassed more than 21,000 members by Monday.
Referring to the prophet, Kashgari had tweeted: “I have loved things about you and I have hated things about you and there is a lot I don't understand about you." “I will not pray for you.”
Malaysia has no formal extradition treaty with Saudi Arabia and Kashgari's deportation has been condemned by rights groups.
Responding to claims that Interpol was involved in Kashgari's deportation, the international police body issued a statement Monday repeating its denial of any involvement in the case.
“No Interpol channels, its national central bureaus in Kuala Lumpur and Riyadh nor its general secretariat headquarters in Lyon, France were involved at any time in this case,” the police body said.
Interpol first issued a denial last week of any involvement, saying the arrest of Kashgari took place on a bilateral basis between Malaysia and Saudi Arabia.
But it said on Monday that it was repeating its statement because numerous news outlets had either stated or implied that it was involved.
