RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Oct. 30 (UPI) -- A Saudi blogger who tweeted an imaginary conversation with the Prophet Muhammad was released from prison after serving 21 months, friends said.
Hamza Kashgari, 24, was arrested in February 2012 after a series of tweets about his conversation with Muhammad, during which Kashgari addressed him as an equal. The posts sparked wide response and condemnation from other Twitter users. He was charged with blasphemy by the Saudi Arabian government and sent to prison the Saudi Gazette reported Wednesday.
Upon his release, which was confirmed by a friend on Twitter, users again debated the tweets, which Kashgari later deleted and formally apologized for posting. Some users agreed he'd been jailed long enough while others argued he should be sent to prison for life as an example for others.
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