Saudi newspaper columnist could face death penalty

A journalist could be the first person to face the death penalty for remarks made on Twitter after allegedly insulting the Prophet Mohammed.

Hamza Kashgari fled his home in Saudi Arabia for Malaysia after some Islamic clerics called for him to be put to death.

It is believed he had tweeted his doubts about Mohammed on the Prophet’s birthday last week.

Jago Russell, chief executive of the British charity Fair Trials International, said yesterday that Interpol should not have been involved in the case, which is 'clearly of a religious nature.'