Blasphemy laws tightened

Showing repentance will no longer prevent the death penalty from being applied for blasphemy and apostasy, Mauritania has announced. A report on the News24 site notes that the decision to tighten its religious laws follows the 9 November release of a blogger previously condemned to death for criticising religious justification for discrimination in Mauritanian society. A new Bill will ‘harden up expected sentences for blasphemers,’ the government said in a statement. ‘Every Muslim, man or woman, who mocks or insults Mohammed (peace be upon him), his angels, books... is liable to face the death penalty, without being asked to repent. They will incur the death penalty even if they repent,’ said Justice Minister Brahim Daddah. The decision to free blogger Cheikh Ould Mohamed Ould Mkheitir for time served after his sentence for blasphemy was downgraded from death to two years in jail caused clashes and outrage two weeks ago.