Malaysia defends deportation of Saudi journalistMalaysia defends deportation of Saudi journalist

Europe Sun Monday 13th February, 2012

KUALA LUMPUR, Malyasia - Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein Monday defended his government's decision to deport Saudi journalist Mohammad Najeeb A. Kashgari, also known as Hamza Kashgari, on grounds of international extradition agreements and need to protect the image of the country.

Amid protests and concerns by human rights activists that Kashgari may be executed, Hussein said that the decision to deport him back to Saudi Arabia despite calls to send him to a third country was based on the fact that "Malaysia has a long-standing arrangement by which individuals wanted by one country are extradited when detained by the other."

"The nature of the charges against the individual in this case is a matter for the Saudi Arabian authorities," the minister said at a press conference here.

King of Saudi Arabia Abdullah Bin Abulaziz Al Saud last week ordered the arrest of Kashgari, 23, following the outrage caused by comments deemed blasphemous and insulting to Prophet Mohammad on his Twitter account.

Hishammuddin said the decision was made to protect Malaysia's reputation, as the country did not want to be known as a safe haven "for terrorists."

Saudi newspaper Arab News says Kashgari has been detained on arrival in Riyadh after being deported from Malaysia.

Kashgari, 23, last week went into hiding before fleeing Saudi Arabia for Malaysia amid reports that he wanted to go to another country to avoid facing justice in his home country where insulting the prophet is considered blasphemous.

Reported to have entered Malaysia two days earlier, Kashgari was detained at the Malaysian airport while trying to board a plane for New Zealand.

Malaysian newspaper The Sun Daily reported that Kashgari was deported back to Saudi Arabia two hours and a half before his lawyers led by R Kesavan managed to get a High Court injunction to stop the deportation.

By the time the injunction was issued to the police, the Home Ministry, as well as the Subang and Kuala Lumpur International Airport immigration authorities to stop Kashgari's deportation, Kashgari was on the plane to Saudi Arabia.

The plane departed around 10am, while the injunction orders were received at 1.30 pm local time, the daily said.

Thousands of Saudis have called on the internet for the most stringent action against former Saudi former columnist.

Prior to his fleeing Saudi Arabia, Kashgari is reported to have deleted his Twitter account, issued a statement apologizing for his remarks and announced his repentance.

However, he was arrested at Kuala Lumpur airport and handed over to Saudi officials who took him to Saudi Arabia where his fate is still unknown.

A leading religious figure in Saudi Arabia said that judges will decide whether the repentance would be accepted.

"His repentance will have to be assessed by judges who will decide whether he was truthful or was lying," Abdul Rahman Bin Nasser Al Barrak is quoted by Saudi news website Saudi Now.

"We have doubts that the repentance statement was genuine and we believe that it was written by someone else for him in the hope that he will be protected and will not be brought to justice," he said,.

For the religious leader, Kashgari was the victim of a conspiracy of negative influence from atheists and a possible irresponsible wish for fame.

Citing informed sources, Saudi Arabia's English daily Arab News said Kashgari will face charges of blasphemy for allegedly mocking the Muslim Prophet Muhammad in his twitter postings.

Blasphemy is a crime punishable by death under Saudi Arabia's interpretation of Islamic Shariah law, but it is not so in Malaysia.

Malaysian home minister dismissed concerns that Kashgari may be executed as ridiculous, and defended the Saudi authorities.

"Allegations that he would be executed, abused, do not make sense. The country being accused is a dignified country. These are serious allegations against Saudi Arabia," he said.