Imprisoned Saudi blogger Raif Badawi was spared a second round of 50 lashes last Friday after a doctor declared the diabetic prisoner too ill for his next weekly flogging to proceed. Meanwhile his country’s highest court stepped in to review his fate.
These are positive developments in a case that has sparked international outrage, with protesters taking to the streets to denounce the floggings and foreign officials, including Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird and the Obama administration, speaking out against his harsh treatment.
While it is difficult to conclude definitively this campaign has resulted in the re-evaluation of Badawi’s conviction and sentence, it is reasonable to suspect the international condemnation played a role. Saudi Arabia’s justice system is far from open and independent. The kingdom spends millions trying to burnish its international image. The first instance of flogging only amplified the criticism of the Saudi regime.
The spotlight must be kept on the retrograde practices that pass for justice in Saudi Arabia.
Badawi, who ran a website called Saudi Free Liberals Forum, was found guilty of insulting Islam and sentenced to a 10-year prison term plus 1,000 lashes to be meted out 50 at a time every Friday (health permitting). Badawi was initially charged with apostasy, which carries a death sentence. But his only crime seems to have been championing free speech in the notoriously repressive kingdom. According to an analysis in The Guardian, Badawi’s writings called for a debate about strict interpretations of Islamic teachings, modest democratic reforms and openness.
His case attracted attention when the first round of lashes were delivered barely a week after millions marched in Paris to decry the terror strike against Charlie Hebdo. Badawi’s supporters pointed out that at the same time as people were rallying to defend liberty of expression in France, Saudi Arabia was punishing it brutally.
There are many reasons to care about Badawi’s plight. The corporal punishment he has received as part of his sentence is barbaric. His wife, who has sought refuge in Sherbrooke with their three young children, doubts he will survive the full 1,000 lashes because he suffers from diabetes. But this archaic punishment is not being dealt by an extremist group that progressive nations are trying to contain — like Islamic State or Boko Haram — but rather a country that sees itself as a respected member of the family of nations.
The West’s relationship with Saudi Arabia is a complicated matter. The kingdom is autocratic, represses women and has a history of support for some of those propagating the radical Islamist views espoused by terror groups. It has one of the world’s worst human rights records.
Meanwhile, its oil and military cooperation in the region make it an indispensable strategic ally. It is noteworthy that Canada and other countries have attempted to leverage their relationship with Saudi Arabia in this situation to admonish the flagrant violation of Badawi’s rights. They should keep it up.
Badawi’s supporters must be aware that the reprieve he was granted could be an attempt to buy time until world attention refocuses on a new outrage elsewhere. But the campaign to pressure Saudi Arabia into liberating Badawi must continue.
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