Scent of freedom for Kashgari who repented Twitter antics

A young Saudi man has been released after spending 21 months in prison for his blasphemous remarks about God and the Last Prophet (peace be upon him), according to sources.
Hamza Kashgari was released early Tuesday. He had repented at his trial for making the remarks on Twitter.
Abdul Rahman Al-Lahem, a lawyer interested in the case, tweeted the news: “Hamza Kashgari has been released. Congratulations to his family, friends and loved ones.”
Abdul Aziz Al-Qasim, a media figure, said: “I received a call from Hamza’s mother, informing me about the release of her son. I ask Allah to accept his repentance and we must help him remain persistent.”
Kashgari issued a statement on his old Twitter account after his release: “Hopeful morning for the lives that do not die, and thanks to God for His lasting kindness.”
Kashgari was accused of tweeting blasphemous comments about God and Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) on his Twitter account. He fled to Malaysia but was arrested on arriving in that country and brought back to the Kingdom.
Some Twitter users welcomed his release while others denounced him.
Abdul Rahman Subaihi stated: “Rejoice in his repentance. As your Lord says, ‘God rejoices over the repentance of His servants.’”
Mohammad Al-Saeedi, a professor of jurisprudence at the University of Umm Al-Qura, welcomed Kashgari’s repentance and said he believed the young man was sincere. He said Islam does not approve of rejecting people after their repentance.
“He should always be thankful to God, mix with righteous people and distance himself from those who are skeptics of the book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Prophet (pbuh). He also advised tweeters to be kind to him in their comments.
Some tweeters, however, were adamant that he should not have been released because this would deter others from insulting God, the Prophet (pbuh), and his companions.