Sydney:
Australian officials say an Australian man has been sentenced to 500 lashes and a year in a Saudi Arabian jail after being convicted of blasphemy.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said on Wednesday that Australia's ambassador in Saudi Arabia has contacted Saudi authorities in a bid for leniency.
A court issued the sentence Tuesday. The man has been identified by family members as Mansor Almaribe of southern Victoria state.
His son, Mohammed, says he is worried his father cannot handle the punishment because he has back problems.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said on Wednesday that Australia's ambassador in Saudi Arabia has contacted Saudi authorities in a bid for leniency.
A court issued the sentence Tuesday. The man has been identified by family members as Mansor Almaribe of southern Victoria state.
His son, Mohammed, says he is worried his father cannot handle the punishment because he has back problems.
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