Australian man released from Saudi prison after 75 lashes

An Australian man who received 75 lashes in an insect infested cold Saudi prison cell, has been released by royal pardon.

An Australian man has received a royal pardon from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, following pressure from Australian authorities. Mansour Almaribe, 45, was arrested on November 14 in Medina, during the Haj pilgrimage, and charged with blasphemy for insulting the companions of the Prophet Mohammad. Sentenced to a year in prison and 500 lashes, he was released early after receiving a reduced punishment of 75 lashes. Almaribe, an Iraqi born Shiah Muslim who has Australian citizenship, described his ordeal to the Herald Sun. Speaking of his spell in a Saudi prison, he said

"There is no human who could live there. You have never seen it and you won't understand how bad it is. It's cold, it's dirty - it's everything you like to say."

The Age reported that during his almost three months in prison Almaribe had only the clothes on his back, and was wearing an inadequate pair of thongs. In addition to the 75 lashes which were administered with a timber stick on his back, Almaribe also said he was subject to beatings in his cell. Almaribe discounted a report by the Gulf News that said some reports suggested he was allowed to wear a coat whilst receiving the lashes, saying he was wearing a cotton robe during the lashing. He said

"As a human getting hit, it's not about the pain. It's about the shame."

The Australian man has criticized the federal government of not doing enough to get him released, a claim they deny.