Saudi Arabia should free Raif Badawi; we urge readers to support a message calling for his release
With rights come responsibilities and with freedom of speech and freedom of expression comes a responsibility to avoid making hateful and false comments. The blogger Raif Badawi is a man who understood that but shockingly in Saudi Arabia, simply for blogging about human rights he was sentenced to 10 years in jail and 1,000 lashes in 2014.
The only “crime” committed by Badawi, in reality, was to enable social debate online. In any other domain, this would be regarded as something to be lauded and though Saudi Arabia has rejected international condemnation of criticism of its treatment of this 32-year old as “interference in its internal affairs”, we join those speaking out against this unnecessarily harsh sentence.
Two stories to keep beside you
#FreeRaif
The Steeple Times joins those calling for mercy and forgiveness for Raif Badawi Raif Badawi was put in prison and sentenced to 1,000 lashes simply for setting up a website named Free Saudi Liberals. Yesterday, the MailOnline featured a video of Badawi being publicly flogged in front of a braying crowd in 2015. […]
Free The Caged Big Cats
Matthew Steeples argues in support of The Big Cat Public Safety Act and urges readers to support his IFAW fundraiser in London Tomorrow in London, I will host a fundraiser for the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). Alongside a whole array of supporters and personalities, we will raise funds for this the crusading charity’s […]
Today, at 12 noon EST, a one-time message will be released on social media calling on Saudi Arabia to “do the right thing” and “release the imprisoned blogger Raif Badawi to his family in Canada”.
We urge all our readers to support this campaign by clicking here.
#BackLash #FreeRaif #JeSusisRaif
Readers have their say
12 comments
When in Rome
He simply campaigned for something that any civil society ought to tolerate. He does not deserve to be beaten to death for that.
Are you kidding me?! A 1000 lashes! I can take that, standing on my head.
Give that man 3000 lashes do you think this some kind of picnic?
What a senseless and idiotic remark.
I suppose you believe we should have stood by and allowed Hitler to eradicate the Jews?
That, again, would have been an example of when in Rome…..
You doubtless sell top hats to the Saudi’s when the barbarians turn up to Ascot.
There can be no other explanation for your inane comment.
I have to agree with you Peter about this being barbaric. It is a disgrace that this innocent man is being tortured and we must all speak out.
Martin is plainly not in full view of the facts and ought to read up on this case.
Raif Badawi should be freed and the world must keep highlighting this until he is.
Martin should not have written the comment without checking.
He is assuming that Badawi is some sort of terrorist when in fact his campaign is about freeing the Saudi’s from it’s vile and oppressive religion.
We should have never have put the Al Saud family in power. Bunch of peasants
He bet not be selling top hats to the Saudi’s at Ascot!! That’s my job.
Interesting that ‘interfering in its internal affairs’ is also used by that other vile regime, China
When in China
Don’t be a bore, my dear
It’s called Oil guys, duh.