Saudi man jailed and gets 1,000 lashes for talking about sex

Mr Abdul-Jawad appeared on a Lebanese chat show, Bold Red Line, in July. In the programme, which could be seen by TV viewers in ultra-conservative Saudi Arabia, he described how he first had sex when he was 14 and showed off sex toys before discussing his exploits with other men.

His lawyer, Sulaiman al-Jumeii, said he plans to appeal against the Riyadh court's ruling and is confident the sentence against his client, which includes a ban on travel and talking to the media for five years after his release, will be revoked.

Mr Al-Jumeii maintains his client was duped by the Lebanese LBC satellite channel which aired the talk show and was unaware in many cases he was being recorded. He claimed his client was referring to other people's sexual experiences and the toys were provided by the TV station.

"I hope you will not consider the case closed," the lawyer said. "I will continue pursuing the TV channel, even if no one stands by me, until it gets the punishment it deserves."

The programme scandalised Saudi Arabia, where such frank talk is rarely heard in public. About 200 people filed legal complaints against Mr Abdul-Jawad, who works for the national airline and who was billed by programme-makers as a "sex braggart" and "Casanova".