Case of Saudi blogger sentenced to 1,000 lashes 'has nothing to do with politics', says his wife
- 9 years ago
Ensaf Haidar, the wife of jailed Saudi blogger Raif Badawi, took her campaign to free her husbands to the EU’s capital on Tuesday as she looked to win further European support for his release.
A court sentenced Badawi, 31, to 1,000 lashes for insulting Islam in May last year; judges also handed the activist a ten-year jail term and a huge fine of more than 180,000 euros.
One round of 50 lashes were carried out against the blogger in January and amateur footage later emerged of the punishment on the Internet.
Haidar has been campaigning for Badawi’s release since he was sentenced. She fled to Canada in 2012 with their three children after his arrest.
Supported by Amnesty International, she is on a tour of Europe seeking EU backing for her fight.
She told euronews in Brussels that she last spoke to Raif last week.
“His voice was tired. He misses his family and he was distressed. He was physically and psychologically tired,” said Haidar.
“With regards to the lashes, they st
A court sentenced Badawi, 31, to 1,000 lashes for insulting Islam in May last year; judges also handed the activist a ten-year jail term and a huge fine of more than 180,000 euros.
One round of 50 lashes were carried out against the blogger in January and amateur footage later emerged of the punishment on the Internet.
Haidar has been campaigning for Badawi’s release since he was sentenced. She fled to Canada in 2012 with their three children after his arrest.
Supported by Amnesty International, she is on a tour of Europe seeking EU backing for her fight.
She told euronews in Brussels that she last spoke to Raif last week.
“His voice was tired. He misses his family and he was distressed. He was physically and psychologically tired,” said Haidar.
“With regards to the lashes, they st