Saudi court sentences Zaid Hamid to eight years in jail, 1000 lashes

ISLAMABAD (92 News) – A Saudi court on Tuesday sentenced prominent hardline commentator and self-proclaimed defense analyst Zaid Hamid for eight years in prison and over 1,000 lashes for speaking against the Saudi government. According to reports, Zaid Hamid was detained while on a private visit to the kingdom with his wife where he made speeches against the Saudi government at a public gathering. He was arrested and later tried in a court where he was indicted. The infamous analyst is often termed a conspiracy-theorist, however, being a Pakistani citizen, the foreign office and the Pakistani Embassy in Saudi Arabia have made no serious efforts for the Zaid's release.