Saudi court sentences artist Ashraf Fayadh to death for apostasy, sparking international outcry
On November 25, 2015, a court in Saudi Arabia condemned artist and poet Ashraf Fayadh to death for purportedly renouncing Islam, granting him 30 days to appeal the decision. Fayadh was detained in May 2014 in Abha following accusations of making blasphemous statements. Initially, he received a sentence of four years in prison and 800 lashes due to his poetry. After his appeal was rejected, a retrial last week led to the imposition of the death penalty. Amnesty International has urged for the reversal of this ruling, with support from cultural figures such as Chris Dercon and Carol Ann Duffy, as well as organizations like Index on Censorship and PEN International.
Key facts
- Ashraf Fayadh was sentenced to death by a Saudi court for allegedly renouncing Islam
- Fayadh has 30 days to appeal the death sentence
- He was first arrested in May 2014 in Abha, Saudi Arabia
- Initial sentence was 4 years in prison and 800 lashes for apostasy
- The case was based on his poetry book and a complaint about blasphemous remarks
- Amnesty International launched an urgent action to overturn the sentence
- Cultural figures including Chris Dercon, Carol Ann Duffy, and Simon Schama have condemned the ruling
- Fayadh co-curated the Rhizoma show at the 2013 Venice Biennale
Entities
Artists
- Ashraf Fayadh
- Chris Dercon
- Carol Ann Duffy
- Simon Schama
Institutions
- Amnesty International
- Tate Modern
- Index on Censorship
- PEN International
- International Association of Art Critics
- Edge of Arabia
- Venice Biennale
- The Guardian
- The New York Times
Locations
- Saudi Arabia
- Abha
- Palestine
- United Kingdom