A Lebanese TV presenter has been sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia, after being convicted of “sorcery”.

Ali Hussain Sibat(46), a Lebanese TV host on a popular Lebanese satellite TV station, Sheherazade, has been convicted of “sorcery” in Saudi Arabia.

The father of 5, was the presenter of a show where he would predict the future and give advice to his audiences.

The presenter was arrested in Saudi Arabia after a member of the Saudi Arabian religious police also known as Mutawa’een arrested him in May 2008, when he came to Saudi Arabia to practise the Muslim pilgrimage of Umra.

Amnesty International, the international human rights group was outraged by the sentencing and condemned the verdict in a statement that they released on Thursday.

Mr Sibat was first put on trial in November 2009 where the Saudi court found him guilty of sorcery on his show.

One of the main pieces of evidence the Saudi court was given was a piece of paper which Mr Sibat wrote on to say what he did for a living after the Mutawa’een interrogators, promised he would be sent home after he did so.

The document was seen as a confession by the Saudi Arabian courts.

Sibat then appealed to the verdict where the court of appeal in the holy city of Mecca took it up under the grounds that the verdict was premature and he should be given the chance to repent for his action.

However on March the 10th, the court of appeal in Mecca upheld it’s initial decision which meant that the father of five was again sentenced to death.

It is expected for Mr Sibat to appeal again to the court of appeal.

Amnesty International, is defending Mr Sibat as the sentencing undermines his freedom of speech.

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