The judges said they called for the execution of the man for his continuous practice of black magic and that he had been doing it publicly for several years before millions of viewers of a satellite channel.
In a statement on Wednesday, the court said it was not convinced by the appeal bench’s rejection of its verdict against the sorcerer and its attempt to ask the man to repent.
“All evidence proved that he was practicing black magic,” the court said.
The general court has now passed the case back to the Appeals Court in Makkah. It also seized the man’s cell phone, which he was carrying at the time of arrest.
The court insisted that the magician deserved death in order to make him an example and deterrent for others, especially for foreigners who come to the Kingdom to practice sorcery.
The appeals court rejected the general court’s first verdict on Dec. 8, 2009, saying it was a premature one and that the man should be asked to repent if he had really committed the crime. The appeals court also wanted to make sure that all allegations made against the defendant were genuine.
The magician was arrested at a hotel in Madinah two years ago. Members of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice seized a talisman where he had written the name of a man, his mother and wife.
Shahrzad acknowledged in front of the general court in Madinah that he had presented a black magic program on the Saudi Sports Channel. However, he claimed that he was practicing black magic during the past eight years in order to treat patients. He also admitted that he had called for the assistance of Satan, Jinn and talisman for his purpose.
