Raef Badawi

Raif Badawi
Raif Badawi in 2012
Born	(1984-01-13) 13 January 1984 (age 33) Khobar, Saudi Arabia
Nationality	Saudi Arabian
Occupation	Author, writer and activist
Known for	Blogging, apostasy charge
Spouse(s)	Ensaf Haidar (m. 2001)
Relatives	Samar Badawi (sister)
Awards	PEN Canada One Humanity Award 2014, Netizen Prize of Reporters without Borders 2014, Aikenhead Award 2015 of Scottish Secular Society, Courage Award from the Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy 2015, DW Freedom of Speech Award 2015, Honorary Title for Freedom of Expression, granted by Brussels University Alliance (VUB and ULB) 2015, Press Freedom Prize 2015 from Reporters Without Borders Sweden Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, 2015 Laureate

Raif Badawi (Arabic: رائف بدوي‎‎, also transcribed Raef Badawi; born 13 January 1984) is a Saudi writer, dissident and activist, as well as the creator of the website Free Saudi Liberals.

Badawi was arrested in 2012 on a charge of "insulting Islam through electronic channels" and brought to court on several charges, including apostasy. In 2013 he was convicted on several charges and sentenced to seven years in prison and 600 lashes. In 2014 his sentence was increased to 10 years in prison, 1000 lashes, and a fine. The flogging was to be carried out over 20 weeks. The first 50 lashes were administered on 9 January 2015. The second flogging has been postponed more than twelve times. The reason for the most recent postponement is unknown, but the previous scheduled floggings were delayed due to Badawi's poor health. Badawi is known to have hypertension, and his health has worsened since the flogging began.

His wife, Ensaf Haidar, who took refuge in Canada after her life was threatened in Saudi Arabia, has said Badawi will not be able to survive further flogging. Ensaf Haidar has given a series of televised interviews about Badawi’s plight, including at the 2016 Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy.

First detained on apostasy charges in 2008, Badawi was released after a day of questioning. He was prevented from leaving Saudi Arabia, and both his and his wife's bank accounts were frozen in 2009. The family of Badawi's wife subsequently filed a court action to forcibly divorce the couple on grounds of Badawi's alleged apostasy. On 17 June 2012, he was arrested on a charge of “insulting Islam through electronic channels”, and the following December he was also cited for apostasy, a conviction which carries an automatic death sentence.Human Rights Watch stated that Badawi's website had hosted material criticizing "senior religious figures". Badawi had also suggested that Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University had become "a den for terrorists."

Following the 2012 arrest, Amnesty International designated Badawi a prisoner of conscience, "detained solely for peacefully exercising his right to freedom of expression", and said: "Even in Saudi Arabia where state repression is rife, it is beyond the pale to seek the death penalty for an activist whose only 'crime' was to enable social debate online". Calling for the government to drop the charges, Human Rights Watch stated: "The charges against him, based solely to Badawi's involvement in setting up a website for peaceful discussion about religion and religious figures, violate his right to freedom of expression".