From Al-Jazeera:
A Saudi academic has been sentenced to 200 lashes and time in jail for insulting a colleague, a Saudi-owned newspaper reported.
According to the London-based Al-Hayat reported on Sunday, Hamza al-Muzaini - a lecturer in linguistics at King Saud University - was accused by Islamic culture lecturer Abd Allah al-Barak of defamation and insult.
Al-Barak accused Muzaini of "mocking long beards" and questioning his knowledge in an article published a few months ago, other reports said.
Al-Muzaini was sentenced to 200 lashes, four months in prison and banned from publishing, a verdict he immediately appealed, Al-Hayat said.
