LEDBURY Poetry Festival believes that the life of a young Saudi poet it campaigned to save has been saved at the last minute.

But the poet is still facing the ordeal of eight years in prison and 800 lashes, spread out in batches of 50 at a time.

The Festival, which organised a daylight vigil at the Market House in early January, on the day Ashraf Fayadh was set to be executed for apostasy, a rejection of Islam, has since been monitoring news from Saudi Arabia, concerning the fate of the 36 year old writer.

A Festival spokesman said its latest information had been "gleaned from initial and unofficial translations to English of various reports in Arabic media".

The spokesman added, in a statement: " The Abha General Court overturned the death sentence passed against Palestinian poet Ashraf Fayadh on charges of apostasy and sentenced him instead of eight years in prison and

800 lashes, which it decreed would be implemented in batches of 50 lashes during separate periods of time.

"Two elements that informed the decision to revoke the death penalty were remorse from Fayadh, and, the fact that the original charges resulted from a complaint from a person involved in a dispute with Ashraf which was of a personal nature, not a religious one, not a criminal one, not a political one. They had argued about a soccer game."

Mr Fayadh's lawyer has already voiced concern at the new sentence and added that "an application is being filed for the release of the accused, stressing belief in the innocence of Ashraf Fayadh of all charges against him."

The Saudi courts, in considering the charge of apostasy, looked at Mr Fayadh's published work.

The writer has strongly denied the charge of apostasy.

He has been in prison since January 2014, and the campaign to have him released is now global.

The Festival hopes the issue will lead to a happy outcome and a cultural exchange with Saudi Arabia.

Speaking at the time of the Ledbury vigil, the chairman of the Ledbury Poetry Festival, Peter Arscott said: " It is not a crime to express an opinion peacefully, it is not a crime to

hold an idea.

"Our message to the Saudi authorities is: please release him, and we invite you to send us poets for our Festival in July. We are weary of listening to news of floggings and executions, instead we want to listen to the music of your poetry."