Ashraf Fayadh was sentenced to death in November by a court in the southwestern city of Abha. He faced multiple charges, including blasphemy, spreading atheism and having illicit relationships with women.
Defense lawyer Abdulrahman al-Lahim said in a statement posted online Tuesday that an Abha court has quashed the death sentence and issued a new appeals verdict of 800 lashes and eight years behind bars. The lashes are to be meted out 50 at a time.
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