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Heretic Saudi Journalist Resumes Work Today
Journalist Rabah Al-Quwayi, who was released earlier this week by the authorities, resumes work today at his Arabic daily Shams. All charges against him were dropped.

Al-Quwayi was arrested on April 3 over his writings on the Internet, which authorities said cast doubts on the journalist’s belief in Islam. Al-Quwayi, 24, a reporter in the Arabic daily in Riyadh, was summoned by a memo from the Hail police to conclude some paperwork related to his car which had been vandalized last November. When he showed up at the station he was arrested for his postings. “They said they had closed the case of vandalizing my car and opened a new one that said they doubted my belief in Islam based on writings I posted on the Internet,” said Al-Quwayi.

At the police station he was questioned by the Grand Inquisition Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice about his Islamic beliefs, Al-Quwayi told Arab News by phone from his jail cell on April 4. After being put to the question five days of detention at the police center he was able to assign lawyer Abdul Rahman Al-Lahem to his case. Al-Quwayi’s lawyer was not allowed to view any of his defendant’s arrest documents or the charges brought against him. “They told me to check with the summary court as the case had been transferred to them,” said Al-Lahem.

No further details about the case surfaced until Saturday afternoon when Al-Quwayi was suddenly released from detention. “Al-Quwayi’s case is closed for good,” said Al-Lahem. Arab News contacted Al-Quwayi after his discharge. “I’ll be back to work at the newspaper in Riyadh by the end of this week for sure and continue my job as usual,” he confirmed.
Good luck to him. And Death to the Grand Inquisition.

Posted by: Fred 2006-04-21
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=149242