Index on Censorship joined English Pen and several other organisations on Friday outside the Saudi Arabian embassy in London to call for the immediate release of Raif Badawi. The Saudi blogger was arrested four years ago on 17 June 2012. He was subsequently sentenced to 10 years in prison and 1,000 lashes for creating the website Free Saudi Liberals and “insulting Islam through electronic channels”.
Badawi received his first 50 lashes in the port city of Jeddah on Friday 9 January, after which the world took notice. The attention has been invaluable in delaying the remainder of his lashing, which his wife Ensaf Haidar says he won’t be able to survive.
It is crucial that we continue to take a stand against the Saudi government’s treatment of Raif Badawi. Index spoke with several of the protesters in London.
Credit: Cat Lucas, English Pen
Imad Iddine Habib, spokesperson of the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain
“I come from Western Sahara and I’m here today because I knew Raif Badawi through his writings, have been to his websites and I know his family. This campaign is very close to my heart. Raif is in prison for writing and offering a space for a lot of Saudis that don’t fall in line with the thinking of the regime and the conservatives. I would hope to see more and more people stepping up to call out Saudi Arabia and the oppressive and anti-human rights laws they are implementing. Increasingly these laws are used against atheists and free thinkers, who are being judged as terrorists.”
Credit: Cat Lucas, English Pen
Ravinder Randhawa, novelist
“As a writer, I feel that freedom of expression is the most important freedom that humanity has. In all societies, dialogue and discourse are the manners in which we examine ourselves and move forward. Raif was doing precisely that. He was encouraging dialogue and debate which was peaceful and non-harmful, and his punishment is unjustified and barbaric. Raif is a great person for speaking out regardless of the consequences. I’m here to support his cause and the cause of many other writers who are imprisoned. I’m here as a writer in solidarity with another writer.”
Credit: Cat Lucas, English Pen
Cat Lucas, English Pen
“Unfortunately, here we are outside the Saudi embassy – again. We’ve been coming here for 18 months in support of imprisoned blogger Raif Badawi, firstly with 20 consecutive weekly protests following his lashing, and now we protest here monthly. Today not only marks the fourth anniversary of Raif’s arrest but his lawyer Waleed Abulkhair’s 37th birthday. Waleed is serving a 15-year sentence. We are here to continue to call on the authorities to release them both, which is now more important than ever as we have learned this week that both have been hospitalised following a hunger strike. We know these protests are a really big deal for them.”
Credit: Cat Lucas, English Pen
Susan Dorrell, Activist
“I come here quite frequently — I’m one of the regulars. It’s very important to stand up for freedom of expression and Raif symbolises thousands of people across the world who suffers persecution as a result of expressing a peaceful opinion. He’s a victim of religious-led persecution and anyone who believes in free speech should support him.”
Credit: Cat Lucas, English Pen
Hannah Machlin, Project Officer, Index on Censorship
“We are here in solidarity with Raif. Index on Censorship is particularly concerned with his public lashings, the second set of which has been delayed due to his health problems. If the Saudi government conducts the rest of his lashings in private, as they said they will, there are much more opportunities for abuse. He may not survive and this is why we must not turn a blind eye.”
Saudi Arabian blogger and activist Raif Badawi is the winner of this year’s Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, awarded by the European Parliament.
Badawi, who also won 2015 PEN Pinter Prize for an International Writer of Courage, was convicted in May 2014 for insulting Islam and founding a liberal website. He received a fine of 1 million riyals (£175,000) and a ten-year prison sentence. In addition, the court in Jeddah sentenced him to 1,000 lashes.
On 9 January 2015, after morning prayers, Badawi was flogged 50 times, but subsequent floggings have been postponed. Earlier this week however, Raif Badawi’s wife Ensaf Haidar, was informed that the floggings were to resume.
Meanwhile, his lawyer and brother-in-law Waleed Abulkhair is serving 15 years in prison for his peaceful activism.
Please join us in front of the Saudi embassy in London on Friday 30 October, from 9am. Activists are asked to meet at the Curzon Street entrance to the Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Mayfair, London.
When: Friday, 30 Oct, 2015, from 9am Where: Saudi embassy in London, Curzon Street entrance (note: the postal address of the Embassy is 30-32 Charles Street).
Along with Melody Patry, delegates delivering the open letter included political campaigner Peter Tatchell
On 17 June 2015, delegates including Melody Patry from Index on Censorship delivered an open letter to UK Prime Minister David Cameron asking for his help in pressuring the Saudi government to release blogger Raif Badawi. Badawi is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence and facing 1,000 lashes for insulting Islam through electronic channels. His sentence was imposed because he expressed an opinion. The date marked the third anniversary of his arrest.
Activist and blogger Raif Badawi was first arrested on 17 June 2012. Three years later he remains in prison on charges that are widely believed to be politically motivated.
Badawi had already spent almost two years in prison before being convicted in May 2014 for insulting Islam and founding a liberal website. He received a fine of 1 million riyals (£175,000) and a ten-year prison sentence. In addition, the court in Jeddah sentenced Badawi to 1,000 lashes.
On 9 January 2015, after morning prayers, Badawi was flogged 50 times. This punishment was due to continue every Friday until he has received a total of 1,000 lashes. However, subsequent floggings have not gone ahead, initially because Badawi was deemed not to have recovered sufficiently from the previous punishment. No explanation has been given for the postponement of further floggings.
Meanwhile, his lawyer and brother-in-law Waleed Abdulkhair, is serving 15 years in prison, for his peaceful activism.
Index on Censorship joins English PEN in calling for Badawi’s sentence of flogging to be overturned immediately, as well as for his conviction to be quashed and for him to be released unconditionally. We also call for the immediate release of Abdulkhair.
To mark the third anniversary of Badawi’s arrest, English PEN have organised a Day of Action which Index will join, as well as encourage our supporters to do so.
Deliver letter to Prime Minister Join organisations and individuals actively campaigning for Raif Badawi’s release, including Baroness Glenys Kinnock, comedian Kate Smurthwaite and activist Peter Tatchell. You can read the full text of the letter and add your name here.
When: 2pm, Wednesday 17th June Where: Downing Street
Public Meeting Representatives of campaigning organisations will come together with experts on Saudi Arabia and MPs to discuss and consider how best to take the campaign forward.
When: 6.30pm, Wednesday 17th June Where: Portcullis House
Take Action We hope that activists across the UK and the world will join this Day of Action by holding events in your local area, lobbying the Saudi authorities, and sending messages of support.
Social media
Join the call for Raif Badawi and Waleed Abulkhair’s immediate release using the hashtags #FreeRaif and #FreeWaleed
You may also wish to include the following Twitter handles:
Raif Badawi – @raif_badawi
Ensaf Haider – @miss9afi
Waleed Abulkhair – @WaleedAbulkhair
Send a letter of appeal
Write to the Saudi authorities (a sample letter is available below) – please cc: [email protected]
I am writing to you as a supporter of English PEN, the founding centre of the international association of writers, to express serious concern for Raif Badawi.
According to PEN’s information, on 9 January 2015 imprisoned blogger Raif Badawi received the first round of 50 lashes in a public flogging after Friday prayers. Badawi is now due to receive 50 lashes each Friday until he has received 1,000 lashes, although subsequent floggings have not gone ahead.
Meanwhile, Raif Badawi’s lawyer and brother-in-law Waleed Abdulkhair, is serving 15 years in prison, for his peaceful activism.
I join PEN in calling for his sentence of flogging to be overturned immediately, as well as for Badawi’s conviction to be quashed and for him to be released unconditionally. I also call for the immediate release of lawyer Waleed Abulkhair.
