Rania before (top) and after the attack

Riyadh, July 5 (Reuters): A Saudi man jailed for savagely beating his television presenter wife has been released after she pardoned him and dropped claims for compensation, a local newspaper reported today.

Pictures of Rania al-Baz’s battered face were published in local newspapers in April, giving the case unusual prominence in Saudi Arabia.

Newspapers said the popular presenter suffered 13 fractures after her husband Mohammed al-Fallatta repeatedly slammed her head against the floor during a domestic dispute.

Arab News said Fallatta was freed on Saturday, having served half of his six-month sentence, after Baz dropped claims for financial compensation saying she had settled “the case in a way satisfactory to both sides”.