Saudi Arabia arrests man seen 'stepping on a Quran' in viral video

The unnamed man is accused of being behind an anonymous Instagram profile titled with an Islamic creed and proclaiming "repentance" in the bio section.

The account contained a single post, a video showing a person's hand dropping a copy of the Quran on a carpeted floor and stepping on it with their bare foot.

The video has gone viral across social media platforms in the kingdom, triggering outrage and distress among users, many of which called for the person's arrest, death and damnation.

Apostasy is punishable by death in Saudi Arabia, where blasphemy laws remain in effect.

In January, Saudi authorities arrested a man who posted TikTok videos dressed as the devil.

A prominent focus for rights group has been the case of liberal Saudi blogger Raif Badawi, who is serving a 10 year prison sentence and was subjected to public flogging for "insulting Islam through electronic channels".

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