Saudi blogger Raif Badawi, whose family lives in Quebec, released from prison after ten years in prison and whipped 50 times before a doctor said he could not survive the sentence of 1,000 lashes. Another in the endless violations of human rights by the Saudi government. The Trudeau Liberal government has gone silent on Saudi human rights violations, having become a collaborator in Saudi human rights violations and its war in Yemen because of its $14 billion armoured car deal with the Saudi government. The Trudeau Liberals have not done anything to pass the Senate motion last June to give Badawi Canadian citizenship or have they yet followed NDP MP Alex Boulerice urging to offer Badawi Canadian consular services to help him get to Canada .
The Quebec family of Saudi blogger Raif Badawi has confirmed he has been released from Saudi prison, 10 years after he was jailed for criticizing religious figures and promoting liberal views of Islam.
"After 10 years in prison, Raif is free!" Ensaf Haidar, Badawi's wife, tweeted, Friday. As the news spread, Haidar was met Friday afternoon by cheering supporters holding signs bearing her husband's photo, and she shared a few tearful hugs outside city hall in Sherbrooke, Que., where she lives with her three children.
"I am at a loss for words," Haidar said, in an interview with Radio-Canada. "I would like to find the words, but I am just happy." He is, I don't know how many kilometres away, but the important thing is that Raif is free," she said. Haidar has been fighting for her husband's release for the past decade. She received a call this morning from Badawi, as he was signing his release papers. "He is doing well. Even he doesn't know what to say," she said. "It's still a surprise for us, but a good surprise." ...
Badawi's family had been anticipating his release, as his 10-year sentence had been served in full as of Feb. 28.
Following his arrest in 2012, Badawi was also sentenced to 1,000 lashes and a fine of 1 million Saudi Arabian riyal, or about $340,000 Cdn. Badawi's case made international headlines when he was whipped 50 times in public, and the remainder of the lashings were suspended following international outcry. ...
Collette Lelièvre, a campaigner with Amnesty International Canada who has worked on Badawi's case for most of the last decade, said the organization is continuing to call for the lifting of the travel ban imposed on Badawi by the Saudi government, so he can join his family in Canada. The organization has planned a demonstration in Montreal for next Tuesday, to support Badawi and to call for more vocal action from the Canadian government. "Now is the time to push," she said. "If we work for Raif, we also work for other human rights defenders and other political opponents [in Saudi Arabia]. ...
Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, the Bloc Québécois immigration and human rights critic, said Haidar's perserverance was lesson to the world to "never give up," adding that she called him this morning with the "extraordinary news." Brunelle-Duceppe introduced a motion in the House of Commons in January 2021 in favour of granting Badawi Canadian citizenship. That motion was adopted unanimously by the Senate last June.
Though Canadian consular services are normally not offered to non-Canadian citizens, NDP MP Alexandre Boulerice urged the government to make an exception in this case, so that officials could help get Badawi back to his family.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/raif-badawi-freedom-1.6381576