English PEN joins PEN International in expressing outrage that the Saudi Arabian authorities have gone ahead with the flogging of Raif Badawi for ‘insulting Islam’ and for ‘founding a liberal website’
On 9 January, imprisoned blogger Raif Badawi received the first round of 50 lashes in a public flogging after Friday prayers. Badawi will receive 50 lashes each Friday following morning prayers until he has received 1,000 lashes.
PEN is calling for his sentence of flogging to be overturned immediately as it violates the absolute prohibition in international law against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. We also reiterate our calls for Badawi’s conviction to be quashed and for his immediate and unconditional release.
TAKE ACTION.
- Contact the Saudi Arabian Embassy here in London – [email protected] / @SaudiEmbassyUK. A sample letter is available below, but please do send a more personal note if you have time.
- Show your support on social media using the hashtags #FreeRaif #IStandWithRaif
- Read a letter from PEN International President to Saudi Arabian Ambassador Mr. Naif bin bandar Al-Sudairi over on their website.
Your Excellency
I am writing to you as a supporter of English PEN, the founding centre of the international association of writers, to express my outrage that the Saudi Arabian authorities have gone ahead with the flogging of Raif Badawi for ‘insulting Islam’ and for ‘founding a liberal website’.
According to PEN’s information, on 9 January 2015 imprisoned blogger Raif Badawi received the first round of 50 lashes in a public flogging after Friday prayers. Badawi will receive 50 lashes each Friday following morning prayers until he has received 1,000 lashes.
I join PEN in calling for his sentence of flogging to be overturned immediately as it violates the absolute prohibition in international law against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. I also join PEN in calling for Badawi’s conviction to be quashed and for him to be released unconditionally.
I would welcome your comments on my appeal.
Yours sincerely