THE whip has swung gently in past cases, more a ritual than a thrashing. But whether Mansor Almaribe's punishment was token or not - and the Herald understands he will suffer no long-term physical injuries - no one would play down his 75 lashes in a Saudi Arabian prison.

The Victorian man was due to fly in to Melbourne this morning after two months in jail after his arrest for blasphemy. Saudi authorities gave a surprise reprieve to the 45-year-old father of five, cutting his sentence of 500 lashes and granting early release from a year in prison.

The Almaribe family - worried he may not survive the ordeal because of a history of diabetes and heart trouble - were overjoyed yesterday at news of his imminent return. ''We were so stressed, but now we're feeling better that my dad is coming home,'' son Isaam said.

Mr Almaribe's release came after sustained lobbying by Australian officials in Saudi Arabia, his case complicated as he was held in Medina - a city Saudi law only permits Muslims to enter.

Mr Almaribe - a Shiite who fled Iraq in the late 1990s and became an Australian citizen - had travelled to Saudi Arabia for the Haj pilgrimage. But religious police detained him on November 14 and he was later convicted on a charge of insulting companions of the prophet Muhammad.

Federal MP Sharman Stone, who worked closely with the family on the case, said the Saudi embassy in Australia needed to provide more information about what was acceptable behaviour for people undertaking the Haj.

Shiites are a minority in the predominantly Sunni country and are regularly targeted by religious police. A spokeswoman for the Foreign Affairs Minister, Kevin Rudd, said the government appreciated the leniency granted by Saudi Arabia.

''Saudi Arabian authorities have granted Mr Almaribe a pardon from his prison sentence, and his corporal punishment was also greatly reduced and administered in a way that did not cause physical harm,'' she said.

Despite joy at his return, there was also concern for the long-term effects of his ordeal.

Steve Ellen, a psychiatrist at the Alfred hospital, said religious prisoners were at higher risk of post-traumatic stress. ''They're … in a foreign country, there's no sense of control or rules. Often the whole process seems quite fickle like his did,'' he said.

with Megan Levy, Jane Lee