Urgent: A Statement from the Family of #RaifBadawi
We have received information from reliable sources that there are attempts within the Penal Court to retry #Raifbadawi on apostasy charges again. Apostasy charge is punishable under Saudi law with the death penalty by beheading.
We also received confirmed information that the Supreme Court has referred Raif case to the same judge, who sentenced Raif with flogging and 10 years imprisonment.
This judge is biased against Raif. He has twice requested that Raif be charged with ‘apostasy’.
His request was declined at the time on the ground that the penal court has no jurisdiction on cases that lead to death penalty. However, due to a new regulation issued by the Supreme Judicial Council on 19.09.2014, the Penal court has now jurisdiction over major cases, which are punishable by the death penalty, amputation and stoning.
We have reasons to believe without any doubts that the same judge has again asked the Head of the Court of Apeal to charge Raif with ‘Apostasy’.
It should be mentioned that this judge stated in his written verdict against Raif, that he has proof and is confident that Raif is an apostate.
We call on the world citizens and governments not to leave Raif dragged by such bigots to death. And we renew our calls to his Majesty King Salman to pardon Raif Badawi and allow him to leave Canada to be united with his family there.
Tag: Raif Badawi
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This judge is biased against Raif
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The country of one million clerics
Any environment repugnant to mankind soon turns into sheer hell.
Saudi Arabia, the country of one million clerics, is the only country that prevents women from driving.
It is the only country that oppresses freedoms in the name of religion.
It rules in the name of Islamic Sharia, which clearly prescribes death to anyone who leaves the religion.
Ladies and gentlemen, my husband Raif Badawi was imprisoned merely for expressing his opinion.
His adopting liberalism was reason enough for the Saudi Inquisition courts to consider him a criminal, worthy of 10 years in prison, and 1,000 barbaric lashes.
The Islamic Inquisition courts, which disappeared when Islamic fascism was eradicated, have now returned during the era of the interfaith dialogue sponsor.
The Saudi King spends hundreds of millions of dollars to improve Saudi Arabia’s image abroad.
Ladies and gentlemen, Raif Badawi won the Humanity Award from PEN Canada last October. Less than a month later, he won the Reporters Without Borders Netizen Award.
In January, he won the Aikenhead Award from the Scottish Secular Society. I was extremely happy to learn that Raif won your distinguished organization’s award, for your tireless protection of human rights.
I tell you, in all honesty, that I am still astounded to this moment over the prize awarded to my husband Raif.
This prize bears a clear message to the Saudi regime, namely that the continued incarceration of Raif is a shame on it, especially considering its war on terror and against the terror group known as the Islamic State.
I would like to thank each of you individually, and wish I could be with you on this wonderful day. My only consolation is that Dr. Elham Manea, who is loved by both myself and Raif, will receive the prize on behalf of Raif.
Ladies and gentlemen, thank you from the bottom of our heart.
Here she is:
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The Geneva Summit
Today’s news from Geneva is that Raif Badawi was given the Geneva Summit’s “Courage Award.” Sally Hayden reports at VICE:
Badawi is the 2015 recipient of the Geneva Summit’s “Courage Award” — sponsored by a coalition of 20 human rights NGOs from around the world.
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Dr. Elham Manea, a spokesperson for Badawi, told VICE News that Badawi’s wife, Ensaf Haidar, is “delighted” at the news of the award, and that his children “are thrilled that their father is being recognized and also honored with such a prize from such a human rights summit. It means a lot.”
Manea talked to VICE News while on the train to Geneva, where she accepted the award on Badawi’s behalf. Haidar is currently in Canada, where she emigrated with the couple’s children. Manea added, however, that the family understandably remains very concerned about Badawi’s health and safety.
Also, they miss him.
During her acceptance speech to the Geneva Summit on Tuesday afternoon, Manea thanked the assembled human rights activists, and said the prize was truly a symbol that we stand “united in our humanity.” She continued: “Why does the Saudi government deny freedoms of speech, religion, and political association to it citizens? As a member of the UN Human Rights Council, why does Saudi Arabia imprison a young man who committed no crime, who only created a blog calling for freedom? Why does it flog a young man with 50 lashes for expressing and opinion? And as a member of the UN Human Rights Council, why does the Saudi government impose a system of gender apartheid on its female citizens?”
In a subtitled video message, Haidar told the summit that she was “astounded” by the honor of the award. “This prize bears a clear message to the Saudi regime, namely that the continued incarceration of Raif is a shame on it,” she said.
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In Montreal
Now Ensaf has posted photos from her meeting with the mayor of Montreal.
How amazing she is. All that courage and aplomb.
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All around the world, King Salman
Update: and in Ottawa:
And in Copenhagen today next to the Saudi embassy:
Aw. Note the Amnesty colors.
Grrrl power!
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Raif not flogged again
Raif Badawi, the Saudi blogger jailed for criticizing Islam, has had his weekly lashes delayed for a fifth time according to Amnesty International.
He was sentenced to 10 years in jail and 1,000 lashes, to be delivered in batches of 50 every week.
He was flogged for the first time on Jan. 9. However, the next five flogging sessions were postponed. At least two of the postponements were due to medical reasons.
Well – they’re going to look like complete ogres and complete fools as well if they go ahead with it after this. They’re in a hot spotlight, and that situation isn’t going to get any better for them.
Amnesty International is calling for Badawi’s sentence to be quashed and for him to be released immediately and unconditionally so he can join his family in Canada.
Damn right. And his lawyer, too, Waleed Abu Al-Khair.
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Don’t stop until
Ensaf Haider has done a short video to thank people for working to free Raif. She asks us not to stop until he’s free and with them. Nope nope nope – not going to stop until then. On the ground, in Montreal – only then will I stop.
But then there is Waleed, and there are the others. Not stopping until they’re all free then.
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Listen up, sons of the house of Saud
The government of Quebec is once again calling for the release of Raif Badawi.
The National Assembly unanimously passed a motion condemning the whipping of Badawi, and expressing support for his wife, Ensaf Haidar, and their three children.
The motion calls on the governments of Quebec and Canada to do everything possible to secure Badawi’s freedom.
“We will not put our arms down. The democratic world has to say loud and clear that we don’t want those practices to go again without any notice from the rest of the world,” said Premier Philippe Couillard.
Haidar, as well as some of Badawi’s supporters, watched the debate as it happened.
The premier has brought up the case directly with Saudi Arabian ambassador to Canada.
Poor Saudi Arabia. They must be getting so tired of hearing about this.
The case has sparked international outcry and widespread protest.
There have been numerous demonstrations across Quebec, asking for Badawi’s release.
The UN high commissioner for human rights, Zeid Raad al-Hussein, has called on Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah to pardon him. The United States has also asked Saudi Arabia to cancel the 1,000 lashes.
And so has Charles Windsor. We’ll have a starling shall be taught to speak nothing but ‘Raif’…
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MEPs strongly condemn the flogging of Raif Badawi
From a press release today by the European Parliament:
Case of Raif Badawi in Saudi Arabia
MEPs strongly condemn the flogging of Raif Badawi by the Saudi Arabian authorities as a “cruel and shocking act” and call on them “to release him immediately and unconditionally” and to ensure that his conviction and sentence, including his travel ban, are quashed. They see Mr Badawi’s case as a symbol of the assault on freedom of expression and peaceful dissent in the country, and “more broadly of the Kingdom’s characteristic policies of intolerance and extremist interpretation of Islamic law”.
Parliament instructs its Delegation for Relations with the Arab Peninsula to raise the cases of Mr Badawi and other prisoners of conscience during its forthcoming visit to Saudi Arabia and to report back to its Subcommittee on Human Rights.
The resolution was passed by 460 votes, to 153, with 29 abstentions.
Pariah state.
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The prince and the king talked privately
Now for some better news at last – Priss Choss did talk to the Saudi dictator about Raif Badawi. Who knows if it did any good or not, but he did it. Well done Choss. I’ve said very hard things about you, especially about your promotion of homeopathy and other woo, but fair play to you: good job.
Prince Charles has raised the plight of jailed blogger Raif Badawi with Saudi Arabia’s King Salman.
Badawi was sentenced to 10 years in prison and has received 50 of 1,000 lashes for offences related to setting up a website for Saudi liberals. Before Charles’s trip to the Middle East, Amnesty International UK urged the prince to intervene on Badawi’s behalf.
The prince and the king talked privately via an interpreter at a palace in Riyadh and then sat together for a lavish lunch attended by hundreds of guests. A source said: “It is understood the issue was raised by the prince during his meeting with King Salman. The reaction from the king was not unfriendly.”
I imagine not. Britain is a valued customer and provider of arms and prison requisites. Charles is a colleague in the monarchy biz.
Simon Collis, Britain’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, said before the meeting of Charles and Salman: “Royal-to-royal links have a particular value … these kinds of visits are capable of having significant impact. Any conversation that does happen is not just going to be an exchange of platitudes, because they are past that.”
Sir William Patey, a former ambassador to Saudi Arabia, told the BBC that Charles had a way of raising human rights issues that did not make the Saudis “bristle”.
“Between us, old chap, it doesn’t do to get too bothered about these little people when they make a fuss. Just ignore them and they’ll get bored with it soon enough. Where’s that illicit bottle you promised?”
At the weekend Charles raised concerns about the radicalisation of British Muslims, saying he thought people who were “born here, go to school here, would abide by those values and outlooks”.
Massoud Shadjareh, chair of the London-based Islamic Human Rights Commission, criticised Charles’s visit to Saudi Arabia. He said: “It seems highly hypocritical of Prince Charles to be giving such a gesture of support to the Saudi regime at a time when he claims to be worried about the dangers of so-called radicalisation and British values.
“The prince should know that no country has been more pivotal to the rise of extremism than Saudi Arabia and rubbing shoulders with its leaders is only going to give them more encouragement to continue business as normal.”
That is very true. Nevertheless I hope he succeeded in pulling some strings.
Bigger picture though? I think the UK and the US should spurn the Saudi regime.
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Clarence House declined to comment
Damn. I was all set to take back much of what I’d said about Prince Charles, because newspaper headlines were saying he was going to urge the Saudi king to stop Raif’s flogging. For a few seconds I was elated, because that would surely make a difference – coming from a fellow monarch and an important ally. But then I read the body of the story and it turns out it’s all just claiming.
Headline in the IB Times: Prince Charles to urge Saudi king to halt blogger Raif Badawi’s flogging
Body:
Prince Charles is rumoured to discuss jailed Saudi activist Raif Badawi’s floggings with Saudi Arabia’s new King when he visits the Kingdom this week, reported Reuters.
According to the official itinerary of Prince Charles’s six-day Middle East tour, he is due to meet senior members of the royal family in his 12th official visit to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday (10 February).
Clarence House, however, declined to comment if he will be meeting King Salman and said reports that the Prince will discuss Badawi’s case were “speculation”.
Oh really. Then why present it as fact in the headline?! Tricksters.
Reuters has more (and a less deceptive headline):
Britain’s Prince Charles will intervene in the case of a jailed Saudi blogger sentenced to 1,000 lashes and urge Saudi Arabia’s new king to halt the punishment, the Mail on Sunday newspaper reported.
Charles embarked on a six-day tour of the Middle East this weekend beginning in Jordan and is expected to also visit Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. His office is not commenting on his exact agenda and the content of any meetings until they are underway.
But the Mail on Sunday, without citing sources, said the heir to the British throne would intervene in the case of Saudi blogger Raif Badawi, who was arrested in June 2012 for offences including insulting Islam, cyber crime and disobeying his father, which is a crime in Saudi Arabia.
It cited unnamed British diplomatic sources as saying the intervention might carry more clout given his royal status.
So it might be true.
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Oslo, Jordan, Sesame Street
Via the Humanistisk Ungdom page (Norway’s Humanist Youth) – a sizable collection of people on a cold snowy day protest in front of the Saudi embassy in Oslo.
A Google translatation with some adaptations –
For the fifth time we stand together with Amnesty International outside the Saudi embassy and demonstrate for Raif Badawi .
He is sentenced to prison and 1,000 lashes – for a blog post.
This time, we were suddenly chased 10 meters away from the embassy, behind a hedge, entirely without justification or explanation of who gave the order.
We didn’t give up though, and continued to shout: #Free Raif Badawi! #Stop the flogging!
Go there to see a 9 second video of them doing it, with a pan from them to the embassy.
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We’ve got leverage
The New Statesman said something interesting in a piece on January 15th on why protesting the flogging of Raif matters.
Under recent Saudi law, anything from “calling for atheist thought” to “inciting protests” or organizing petitions is now punishable as an act of terrorism.
Despite the crackdown at home, however, Saudi Arabia is angling to present itself as a supporter of free expression abroad.
Oh is it. Is it really.
Not that we didn’t know that – what else were they doing turning up in Paris on January 11th? What else were they doing joining that protest march?
But still. Having it spelled out is clarifying. If the Staggers is right about that, then that’s how we have leverage. If those evil bastards really are angling to present themselves as not 100% evil bastards – then they’ll have to act like not 100% evil bastards, won’t they. Then our yelling and shouting is going to trouble them, isn’t it.
Good.
Expect more yelling and shouting, Saudi dictators.
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Another Friday
For the fourth week, the Saudis have refrained from hitting Raif Badawi with a stick 50 times.
Saudi Arabia has again delayed a planned flogging of a blogger, according to a report from Amnesty International.
The Twitter account of the organization’s press office said Raif Badawi was spared a flogging today for reasons not yet known.
Not being able to get away with it without a lot of yelling and shouting, would be one big reason. The embassies would prefer a quiet life.
