Saudi Arabia

LASHED SAUDI BLOGGER: ALL THIS FOR EXPRESSING MY OPINION…….

In the land of the sandal and scimitar, what’s one to expect?

Saudi Arabia, a place where one can still visit the seventh century and not be in a museum.

‘All this cruel suffering happened because I expressed my opinion’: Saudi blogger sentenced to 1,000 lashes for ‘insulting Islam’ says it was a ‘miracle’ he survived the first round of 50 beatings in prison

Saudi blogger Raif Badawi, who was sentenced to 1,000 lashes for 'insulting Islam', has spoken for the first time from jail about his first flogging in January

Saudi blogger Raif Badawi, who was sentenced to 1,000 lashes for ‘insulting Islam’, has spoken for the first time from jail about his first flogging in January

  • Raif Badawi has spoken for first time since being jailed for ‘insulting Islam’
  • He recalled how cheering crowds chanted around him during first flogging 
  • Remarks will feature in book called ‘1,000 Lashes: Why I Say What I Think’ 
  • His sentence, including weekly beatings, sparked an international outcry 

Saudi blogger Raif Badawi has spoken for the first time since being jailed and sentenced to 1,000 lashes to say it was ‘miraculous’ that he had survived the first 50.

Badawi was arrested in 2012 for offences including insulting Islam, cyber crime and disobeying his father (a crime in Saudi Arabia).

Last year, the father-of-three was sentenced to 10 years in jail, a fine of 1 million riyals ($266,000).

His punishment also meant he would be flogged 50 times every Friday for 20 weeks – but after the first beating in January this year, these have been postponed each week on medical grounds.

His conviction sparked an international outcry and German weekly Der Spiegel reported Badawi’s first remarks since being given the sentence today.

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