Because he nudged a discussion about politics and Islam in Saudi Arabia on the Internet, Raif Badawi has been punished draconian. The father switching ten years in prison and should receive a thousand lashes.
The judgment was inhumanly hard: A court sentenced the Saudi Arabian blogger Raif Badawi to seven years imprisonment and 600 lashes because he should have insulted Islam. That was last July.
Now, an appeals court in the port city of Jeddah has tightened the punishment again. The judge sentenced the blogger on Wednesday to ten years in prison and 1,000 lashes. In addition, he shall pay a fine in the amount from the equivalent of just under 200,000 euros.
Badawi’s offense: He had initiated a debate about the relationship between politics and religion in Saudi Arabia on the internet. In 2008 he had founded in the net the Forum “Free Saudi liberals”, which henceforth became targeted by the authorities in the conservative kingdom.
Medieval Justice in Saudi Arabia:A legal scholar declared him an infidel
Multiple Badawi was arrested by the religious police . 2009 occupied him the authorities with a travel ban , they also froze its accounts. This was due to articles in which the blogger had the customs guards accused of human rights violations.
2011 brought the judicial prosecution . Because Badawi Islamic authorities had insulted and theological issues discussed , he was accused of attacking religious values . The lawyer Abd al -Rahman al – Barrak issued in March 2012, an opinion in which he stated Badawi to an unbeliever , ” that needs to be charged and convicted , as he deserves .” Badawi have called Muslims, Christians , Jews and atheists as equal – that should not remain without consequences , called Barrak .
But the blogger of it could not be put off – on the contrary : Together with colleagues he explained 7 May 2012 on the day the Saudi liberals , where they turned against the politicization of Islam.
This went to the authorities too far : They took Badawi fixed 17 June 2012 , the forum has been closed. His wife and three children fled to Beirut. End of December 2012 opened the judicial proceedings against him.
Medieval Justice in Saudi Arabia:”Badawi is a political prisoner”
The authorities also accuse him because he should be dropped from Islam. It says the death penalty in Saudi Arabia. This punishment he handled by three times uttered the Islamic profession of faith in the negotiation and thus confirmed to be a Muslim.
The appellate court found in its judgment on Thursday but as proven that Badawi entertain an illegal network and liberal ideas had spread . Human rights groups have criticized the sentences sharply: ” He is a political prisoner who has done nothing other than his right to exercise freedom of expression peacefully ,” said Philip Luther ,
Middle East director at Amnesty International. ” The authorities must release him without preconditions. ”
Flogging is a common punishment in Saudi Arabia. The beats are usually distributed in stages – mostly on the back. According to the first-instance judgment Badawi should receive four times 150 lashes – as the division of a hundred blows looks is not yet known.
Before any punishment a doctor to examine the health status of the person. The punisher tucks a Koran under his arm – which aim to ensure that the impacts turn out not to be violent. Deaths by whipping wants to avoid for fear of negative press namely Saudi Arabia.
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