A court in Mauritania has sentenced 28 year old
journalist Mohamed Cheikh Ould Mkhaitir to death
for apostasy for criticizing Prophet Muhammed.
According to Reuters, the journalist was sentenced by a court in the northwestern city of Nouadhibou for an article he published almost a
year ago, questioning some of the decisions
Prophet Mohammed took during holy wars.
Some folks saw the article which he posted online
and appeared on a number of websites and called
for his arrest. He was arrested on January 2nd
2014 after the article sparked street protests
and has been in custody ever since.
When he
appeared in court, he pleaded not guilty, telling
the court that it was 'not his intention to harm
the prophet' but he was still found guilty and
sentenced to death under Sharia law.
The
prosecutors recommended that he be shot to
death.
AFP reported that the blogger fainted when the
ruling was read out in court yesterday Dec. 25th.
He was revived and taken to prison. His lawyers
say they will appeal the sentence.
According to AFP, Mauritania hasn't executed a
prisoner since 1987, and has not given a death
sentence for apostasy since it gained its
independence from France in 1960.
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