Raif Badawi flogging delayed for 8th week in a row
Amnesty International continues to call for release of Saudi blogger
Raif Badawi, the Saudi blogger jailed for criticizing Islam, has had his weekly lashes delayed for an eighth consecutive week.
- How a Facebook 'like' could be key to Badawi case
- Raif Badawi flogging condemned by City of Montreal
- National Assembly lends support to Saudi blogger
His supporters confirmed the development on Badawi's official Twitter account.
No flogging for today <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FreeRaif?src=hash">#FreeRaif</a>
—@raif_badawiBadawi was arrested in June 2012 after criticizing the Saudi regime and expressing views critical of Islam on his blog.
He was eventually sentenced in May 2014 to ten years in jail and 1,000 lashes, to be delivered in batches of 50 every week.
He was flogged for the first time on Jan. 9.
Badawi is a 32-year-old blogger and activist. His wife, Ensaf Haidar, and their three children are refugees living in Sherbrooke, Que.
Haidar told CBC earlier this week she's heard from official sources in Saudia Arabia that her husband may face a new trial, this time for renouncing faith.
The apostasy charge is punishable under Saudi law with the death penalty by beheading.