Rashid al-Ajami was originally sentenced to life in prison in 2012 after clip of poem recital was posted on YouTube
A Qatari poet has been pardoned and released after serving more than three years of a 15-year prison sentence for reciting a poem perceived to be critical of the emir, his brother said on Wednesday.
Rashid al-Ajami, also known as Ibn Al-Deeb, was convicted after apparently being challenged in 2010 to read a poem that was indirectly critical of then Qatari ruler, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani.
Related: Qatari poet jailed for life after writing verse inspired by Arab spring
Continue reading...