Tunisian Authorities Sentence British DJ to One Year in Jail Over Muslim Prayer Remix

Update [April 7, 2016 12:20 PM]: Dax J issued a statement about his conviction for playing a remix of the Muslim call to prayer in a Tunisian nightclub.

The British DJ who played a remix of the Muslim call to prayer in a nightclub in Tunisia has been sentenced to a year in jail by the local authorities, the BBC reports. Dax J was charged with public indecency and offending public morality but fled the country before the court case.

During Dax J's set last weekend at the El Guitoune nightclub in Nabeul in the northeast region of the country he played a remix of the call to prayer, the Muslim religious act performed five times a day. After footage of the incident emerged on social media, the nightclub was shut down by the local authorities and the owner and event organizer taken into custody.

Mnaouar Ouertani, the governor of Nabeul, said when the club was shut down: "We will not allow attacks against religious feelings and the sacred."

In a statement posted on his Facebook page, Dax J said: "I hold the upmost respect for all religions across the globe and I can now understand how my recent actions could have been perceived in the wrong way. We must all take time to truly respect and appreciate everybody's beliefs in this world to move forward as a global society."

He also said that he is now back in Europe and that the conviction "will expire in 5 years."

Speaking to the AFP news agency, a court spokesperson said that charges against the nightclub owner and event organizer have now been dismissed.

Dax J was playing in Tunisia as part of the Orbit Festival. The festival issued a statement about the incident at the time: "Dax J had no intention of provoking your anger or offending you. It is clear, after his apologies, that Dax J is sincere and has no reason to hurt our dear festival-goers."