A Malaysian has been sentenced to more than 10 years in jail and three others have been charged over insults against Islam and the Prophet Muhammad on social media.
The sentence of 10 years and 10 months is believed to be the harshest such penalty on record in the Muslim-majority country.
Inspector General of Police Mohamad Fuzi Harun said in a statement on Saturday that the person, identified only as Facebook user "Ayea Yea", had pleaded guilty to 10 charges of anti-religious activity and misusing communication networks.
The statement did not specify the number of charges for each offence but said they would be served consecutively.
Under Malaysian law, those found guilty of anti-religious activity can be punished with a jail term of two to five years. The misuse of communication networks carries a maximum one year in jail or a fine of up to 50,000 ringgit ($12,200), or both.
According to Andrew Khoo, a Malaysian lawyer focusing on human rights, this is an "unprecedented" situation.
"For someone to face five separate charges, and for the sentences to be served consecutively - this is excessive," Khoo told Al Jazeera. [Al Jazeera English] Read more
