Psychic faces Saudi execution

A Lebanese man condemned to death for witchcraft by a Saudi court will not be beheaded on Friday as had been expected, his lawyer said.

Attorney May al-Khansa said Lebanon’s justice minister told her that her client, Ali Sibat, will not be executed in Saudi Arabia on Friday — the day executions are typically carried out in the kingdom after noon prayers.

She said it is still unclear whether the beheading had been waived or only postponed.

There was no immediate comment from Saudi officials, and Lebanese Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar was not available for comment “Ali Sibat will stay alive this Friday but we don't know what is going to happen the next day, Saturday, Monday, any other day,” al-Khansa said.

“What the (justice) minister told us was not enough for the family, it is not enough for me, because we really need Ali Sibat to be released.” Sibat, a 49-year-old father of five, made predictions on an Arab satellite TV channel from his home in Beirut.