Two men have been given jail sentences in Saudi Arabia after a court decided they had been behind the conversion of a Saudi woman from her previous Muslim faith to Christianity. One of the men was handed a six year jail sentence while the other must serve two years. They will also be forced to receive public lashes as part of their punishment with one man receiving 300 lashes and the other 200.

It is illegal under Sharia law for Muslims to convert to another religion or to practice a different religion publicly. This particular case emerged after the family of the woman alleged that she had been the victim of brainwashing at her workplace. Her work colleagues arranged for her to leave Saudi Arabia using falsified documents and the woman is now living in Sweden after she was successfully granted asylum last year.