A Saudi Arabian
blogger has been
given the first 50 of
1,000 lashes after
being convicted of
cybercrime and
insulting Islam.
Raif Badawi, the
founder of the
Liberal Saudi
Network, a now-
defunct online forum
for public debate that
was ordered closed
by a judge, received
50 lashes on Friday
and will be flogged
once a week until all
1,000 blows have
been delivered, the
BBC reports . It will
take roughly 20
weeks. Badawi was
arrested in 2012 and
last May was
sentenced to 10 years
in prison and a fine
of more than
$260,000, in addition
to the lashes.
“The flogging of Raif
Badawi is a vicious
act of cruelty which
is prohibited under
international law,”
Said Boumedouha,
deputy director for
the Middle East and
North Africa at
Amnesty
International, said in
a statement.
“By ignoring
international calls to
cancel the flogging,
Saudi Arabia’s
authorities have
demonstrated an
abhorrent disregard
for the most basic
human rights
principles,” he
said. Badawi’s
punishment was
carried out despite
condemnation from
governments and
human rights groups.
On Thursday, U.S.
State Department
spokeswoman Jen
Psaki urged Saudi
Arabia to halt the
lashing and review
Badawi’s case, but to
no avail.
Badawi had his
charges read to him
and was flogged
outside a mosque in
Jeddah, according to
Agence France-
Presse. While the size
of the crowd that
watched him is
unknown, NPR
reports that Badawi’s
hands and feet were
shackled during his
ordeal. An
eyewitness who
spoke with Amnesty
International said
Badawi remained
silent as a security
officer took a “huge
cane” and struck his
back and legs 50
times. Newsweek
could not
independently verify
this account.
Badawi was first
imprisoned in 2012
for violating Saudi
Arabia’s information
technology law and
“insulting religious
authorities through
his online writings
and hosting of those
of others” on his
website, according to
Amnesty
International. An
appeals court
overturned his
conviction in
December and sent it
to Jeddah’s Criminal
Court for review.
Badawi was originally
charged with
“apostasy,” which
carries the death
penalty in Saudi
Arabia, but was
cleared of that charge
in 2013, the BBC
reports. The evidence
against him included
“liking” a Facebook
page for Arab
Christians, according
to the BBC.

www.newsweek.com/first-50-1000-lashes-saudi-blogger-sentenced-insulting-islam-298265

its because of diplomacy we don't want to admit it,islam is a religion of intolerance anyone in doubt should answer this simple question......which is riskier: insulting the pope/mary/Jesus at the vatican or insulting Mohammed at mecca?

Nice one!
If you are in saudi, dont behave like you are in england.

Phame:
Nice one!
If you are in saudi, dont behave like you are in england.

spot on my brother,this foreign rights agency are only appealing to sentiments,,,islamic law is written and for that state saudi it is the absolute law

i wish he same treatment can be meted out to nairaland monickers such phockman and fire fire

Seun

A Saudi Arabian
blogger has been
given the first 50 of
1,000 lashes after
being convicted of
cybercrime and
insulting Islam.
Raif Badawi, the
founder of the
Liberal Saudi
Network, a now-
defunct online forum
for public debate that
was ordered closed
by a judge, received
50 lashes on Friday
and will be flogged
once a week until all
1,000 blows have
been delivered, the
BBC reports

nedu2000:
its because of diplomacy we don't want to admit it,islam is a religion of intolerance anyone in doubt should answer this simple question......which is riskier: insulting the pope/mary/Jesus at the vatican or insulting Mohammed at mecca?

The problem is people always look at things from religious perspective. I can tell you categorically that there is freedom of speech everywhere in the world and whether people believe it or not there is freedom of speech in saudi, iran, just as there is freedom of speech in US, France, Russia and of course Nigeria. But what people fail to realise is that, although you are guaranteed your freedom of speech anywhere in the world, NOBODY CAN GUARANTY ANYBODY'S FREEDOM AFTER SPEECH. And this applies to all countries be it Saudi, Iran, US, France and of course Nigeria. People hold different things sacred. Edward Snowden exercised his FREEDOM OF SPEECH in US and now he doesn't have his FREEDOM AFTER SPEECH. Does that make US an intolerant country? You are free to go to India and exercise your freedom of speech and start mis-yarning about their temple gods, but bear in mind that you may lose your freedom after speech. People should be responsible enough to respect the society in which they live. In Saudi, it may be religious, in US it may be national security, in China it may be something else. Even the DSS will knock your door in Nigeria if you make some "unguarded" speeches. Know for sure you have freedom of speech, but no one can guaranty you freedom after speech anywhere in the world.