I don’t think most people were expecting an execution. Likeliest of outcomes was an extremely long prison sentence, or some form of barbaric physical punishment like a whipping. They don’t just execute people. They’re cruel in all kinds of other ways.

North Korea will gladly imprison westerners for benign stuff and even killed one of them. Now, Qatar isn't North Korea, but if North Korea tortures and kills and American for stealing a poster, sending this guy to prison for a very long time doesn't seem far fetched. If all eyes weren't on them right now, I bet he'd be in a living hell.