Amnesty International has urged Saudi Arabia to put an end to the flogging of an activist over charges of insulting Islam through his website.
Raif Badawi has been in detention since June 2012 before a court ordered him to ten years in prison and 1,000 lashes over charges of insulting Islamic laws in the kingdom on his website the Saudi Arabian Liberals.
He has already received 50 lashes last Friday, and authorities are preparing for a second round of flogging next Friday 16 January.
“The world’s spotlight is shining on Saudi Arabia. If authorities ignore widespread criticism and unashamedly continue with the flogging of Raif Badawi, Saudi Arabia would be demonstrating contempt for international law and disregard for world opinion,” said Said Boumedouha, Deputy Director of Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Program.
“Flogging and other forms of corporal judicial punishment violate the prohibition of torture and other ill-treatment. By continuing to dole out this inhuman punishment the Saudi Arabian authorities are flagrantly flouting basic human rights principles,” he added, urging the international community to pressure the kingdom to halt the activist’s “cruel” punishment.
“Raif told me he is in a lot of pain after his flogging, his health is poor and I’m certain he will not be able to cope with another round of lashes,” Amnesty, in its report on Wednesday, quoted Badawy’s wife as saying.
