A Malasian man facing death for cannabis possession has escaped the gallows after the judge who sentenced him took nine years to deliver his written judgment.
In a case that has raised questions over judicial standards, the death sentence against Baha Jambol, 45, was commuted to an 18-year jail term and 12 strokes of the cane, the state Bernama news agency said.
"All praise to God,” a grateful Baha said to the media after the appeals court made the decision.
The former fish and vegetable vendor has already served nine years on death row, and reductions to the sentence mean he will be free in December next year, Bernama said.
Baha was arrested in 1996 for trafficking more than 50kg of cannabis.
He is one of eight death row prisoners who applied to be released due to long delays by High Court judges charged with writing up their judgments so that appeals can be lodged.
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