{"id":7668,"date":"2016-10-20T04:05:11","date_gmt":"2016-10-20T08:05:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.chinesepen.org\/english\/?p=7668"},"modified":"2016-10-22T04:14:57","modified_gmt":"2016-10-22T08:14:57","slug":"saudi-arabia-must-not-flog-raif-badawi-for-blogging","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chinesepen.org\/english\/saudi-arabia-must-not-flog-raif-badawi-for-blogging","title":{"rendered":"Saudi Arabia must not flog Raif Badawi for blogging"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Update #9 to RAN 02\/13<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-7669\" src=\"http:\/\/www.chinesepen.org\/english\/files\/2016\/10\/Raif-Badawi-1024x538.jpg\" alt=\"raif-badawi\" width=\"480\" height=\"252\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.chinesepen.org\/english\/files\/2016\/10\/Raif-Badawi.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.chinesepen.org\/english\/files\/2016\/10\/Raif-Badawi-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.chinesepen.org\/english\/files\/2016\/10\/Raif-Badawi-768x404.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.chinesepen.org\/english\/files\/2016\/10\/Raif-Badawi-800x420.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" \/>20 October 2016 \u2013 <\/strong><strong>PEN International is deeply concerned by <\/strong><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/saudi-blogger-raif-badawi-to-be-given-more-lashes-in-prison\/a-36073554\"><span style=\"color: #c60000;\">news<\/span><\/a>\u00a0reports, as yet\u00a0unconfirmed,<\/strong><strong>\u00a0that the Saudi government may resume the lashing punishment against blogger Raif Badawi, currently serving a 10-year sentence in Saudi Arabia. The news was announced in a statement by The Raif Badawi Foundation, which said it had received the confirmation from the same source that had notified his family about the first 50 of 1,000 lashes, which Badawi was given on 9 January, 2015. After his first flogging, Badawi\u2019s remaining 950 lashes were\u00a0postponed indefinitely on medical grounds.<\/strong><!--more--><\/p>\n<p>PEN International calls on the Saudi Arabian authorities to abandon any intention to carry out the remainder of his 1,000-lash sentence, as it violates\u00a0the absolute prohibition in international law against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.<\/p>\n<p>PEN International continues to call for Badawi\u2019s conviction to be overturned and for him to be released immediately and unconditionally.\u00a0PEN also reiterates its call for the release of Badawi\u2019s lawyer Waleed Abu al-Khair, who is serving a 15-year prison sentence in connection with his peaceful exercise of his right to freedom of expression.<\/p>\n<p>For extracts of Raif Badawi\u2019s writings in English and Arabic click\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2015\/jan\/14\/-sp-saudi-blogger-extracts-raif-badawi\"><span style=\"color: #c60000;\">here<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Take Action:<\/strong>\u00a0<strong>Share on FaceBook, Twitter and other social media<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"gform_confirmation_wrapper_31\" class=\"gform_confirmation_wrapper \">\n<div id=\"gform_confirmation_message_31\" class=\"gform_confirmation_message_31 gform_confirmation_message\">Thank you for joining PEN International in calling for the release of Raif Badawi and his lawyer Waleed Abu al-Khair.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong><u>Please send appeals:<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Calling on the Saudi Arabian authorities to halt immediately any plans to carry out Raif Badawi\u2019s sentence of flogging as it violates the absolute prohibition in international law against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment;<\/li>\n<li>Urging the Saudi Arabian authorities to release Raif Badawi and his lawyer Walid Abu al-Khair immediately and unconditionally as they are being held solely for their peaceful exercise of their rights to freedom of expression;<\/li>\n<li>Calling on Saudi Arabia to ratify, without reservation, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><u>Appeals to be sent to:<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<table width=\"764\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"263\"><u>His Majesty<\/u><br \/>\nKing Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud<br \/>\nThe Custodian of the two Holy Mosques<br \/>\nOffice of His Majesty the King<br \/>\nRoyal Court, Riyadh<br \/>\nKingdom of Saudi Arabia<br \/>\nFax: (via Ministry of the Interior)+966 1 403 3125<br \/>\nSalutation: Your Majesty<\/td>\n<td width=\"238\"><u>Crown Prince and Minister of the Interior<br \/>\n<\/u>His Royal Highness Prince Muhammad bin Nayef<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>bin Abdulaziz Al SaudMinistry of the Interior<br \/>\nP.O.Box 2933, Airport Road,<br \/>\nRiyadh 11134<br \/>\nKingdom of Saudi Arabia<br \/>\nFax: +966 1 403 3125<br \/>\nSalutation: Your Excellency<\/td>\n<td width=\"263\"><u>Minister of Justice<\/u><br \/>\nHis Excellency Shaykh Dr Mohammed bin Abdulkareem Al-Issa<br \/>\nMinistry of Justice,<br \/>\nUniversity Street<br \/>\nRiyadh 11137 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia<br \/>\nFax: + 966 1 401 1741 + 966 11 402 0311<br \/>\nSalutation: Your Excellency<u>\u00a0<\/u><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>Please copy appeals to the diplomatic representative for Saudi Arabia in your country if possible<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>***Please send appeals immediately. Check with PEN International if sending appeals after 19 November 2016. Please send us copies of any appeals you send and of any responses you receive***<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Background<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Raif Badawi was arrested on 17 June 2012 in Jeddah after organising a conference to mark a \u2018day of liberalism\u2019. The conference, which was to have taken place in Jeddah on 7 May 2012, was banned by the authorities. On 29 July 2013, a court in Jeddah sentenced Badawi to seven years and three months in prison and 600 lashes after he was convicted under the information technology law of \u201cfounding a liberal website,\u201d \u201cadopting liberal thought\u201d and for \u201cinsulting Islam\u201d. The online forum, Liberal Saudi Network \u2013 created to foster political and social debate in Saudi Arabia \u2013 was ordered closed by the judge.<\/p>\n<p>According to reports, the appeal, submitted by Badawi\u2019s lawyer, Walid Abu al-Khair, cited procedural and evidential reasons why the conviction should be overturned and Badawi should be freed. In December 2013, it was reported that the Court of Appeal had reversed the ruling of the District Court in Jeddah, ordering that Badawi\u2019s case be sent for review by another court. Badawi, who suffers from diabetes, is reported to be in poor health.<\/p>\n<p>On 7 May 2014, Jeddah\u2019s Criminal Court sentenced Badawi to 10 years in prison, 1,000 lashes and a fine of 1 million Saudi riyals (approx. US$266,631) on charges of \u2018insulting Islam\u2019 and \u2018founding a liberal website.\u2019 According to PEN\u2019s information, when Badawi appeared in court to collect a written account of the verdict on 28 May 2014 he discovered the insertion of two additional penalties: a 10-year travel ban and 10-year ban from participating in visual, electronic and written media, both to be applied following his release. For more information about his case, please read PEN\u2019s interview with his wife Ensaf Haidar\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.pen-international.org\/newsitems\/ensaf-heidar-talks-to-pen-international\/\"><span style=\"color: #c60000;\">here<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>According to the Centre For Inquiry (CFI), in an article<a href=\"http:\/\/www.centerforinquiry.net\/blogs\/entry\/saudi_court_denies_raif_badawis_appeal\/\"><span style=\"color: #c60000;\">\u00a0dated 17 September 2014<\/span><\/a>, the Saudi appeals court in Mecca confirmed the sentence against Badawi, and ordered that the lashes should be administered 50 at the time, in public, every week after Friday Prayers. The first 50 lashes were given outside al-Jafali mosque in the port city of Jeddah on 9 January 2015. The following week, the authorities postponed further flogging sessions on medical grounds after a doctor said wounds from the previous lashing had not healed. On 16 January 2015, his wife Ensaf Haider, who lives in Canada with the couple\u2019s three young children, said that King Abdullah had referred the case to the Supreme Court.<\/p>\n<p>On 18 October 2016, The Raif Badawi Foundation released a statement in which they confirmed that they had received information that Raif Badawi\u2019s flogging sentence was to continue. In contrast to the first round of punishment, which was performed in a public place, the next\u00a0lashing was reportedly due to be carried out inside prison.<\/p>\n<p>Source: <span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.pen-international.org\/newsitems\/saudi-arabia-must-not-flog-raif-badawi-for-blogging\/\" target=\"_blank\">http:\/\/www.pen-international.org\/newsitems\/saudi-arabia-must-not-flog-raif-badawi-for-blogging\/<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Update #9 to RAN 02\/13 20 October 2016 \u2013 &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chinesepen.org\/english\/saudi-arabia-must-not-flog-raif-badawi-for-blogging\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[35,110,33],"tags":[1862,1184,1861],"views":4261,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.chinesepen.org\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7668"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.chinesepen.org\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.chinesepen.org\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.chinesepen.org\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.chinesepen.org\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7668"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.chinesepen.org\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7668\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7670,"href":"https:\/\/www.chinesepen.org\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7668\/revisions\/7670"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.chinesepen.org\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7668"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.chinesepen.org\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7668"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.chinesepen.org\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7668"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}