Saudi Arabia: UN rights experts outraged by extremely harsh sentence against blogger
GENEVA (15 May 2014) – A group of UN human rights experts today
expressed alarm at the conviction to 10 years in prison, 1,000 lashes,
and a 1 million Saudi riyal fine against Saudi online activist and
blogger, Raef Badawi.
“This outrageous conviction should be overturned and Mr. Badawi
immediately released,” said the Special Rapporteur on freedom of
religion, Heiner Bielefeldt, the Special Rapporteur on freedom of
expression, Frank La Rue, the Special Rapporteur on torture, Juan E.
Méndez and the Chair-Rapporteur of the Working Group on Arbitrary
Detention, Mads Andenas.
“Mr. Badawi is a prisoner of conscience, who has been convicted for
peacefully expressing his views on religious and other issues,” they
added.
The UN experts also urged the Government of Saudi Arabia to “embark
on more comprehensive reforms to bring their judicial system in
compliance with international standards.”
The human rights experts stressed that “Mr. Badawi was imprisoned for
peacefully exercising his right to freedom of expression” and recalled
the right of all people to “freely manifest their views in matters of
religion or belief and to write, issue and disseminate information and
ideas in these areas through any media without interference.”
They expressed further concern that “the detention and charges
brought against Mr. Badawi appear to be part of an ongoing practice of
prosecution against people who publicly express dissenting religious
views in Saudi Arabia.”
Mr. Badawi, the co-founder of a website called the Liberal Saudi
Network, was detained in June 2012 on charges of “founding a liberal
website,” “adopting liberal thought” and for “insulting Islam”, after
publishing a number of articles on his blog site and social media.
He was convicted in July 2013 to seven years in prison and 600
lashes. At the time, his lawyer claimed that his trial was marred by
irregularities and contested the impartiality of the judicial process in
the case. In December 2013, an appeals court overturned his conviction
and sent the case to Jeddah’s Criminal Court for review. However, last
week, the Criminal Court dramatically toughened the sentence imposed to
Mr. Badawi.
The UN experts reminded the Government of Saudi Arabia of the
international standards concerning the rights to freedom of expression
and freedom of belief, and the obligation to ensure that prisoners are
treated humanely. “Corporal punishment, such as flogging, violates
international law, which prohibits torture or other cruel, inhuman or
degrading treatment or punishment,” said the experts.
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=14597&LangID=E
GENEVA (15 May 2014) – A group of UN human rights experts today
expressed alarm at the conviction to 10 years in prison, 1,000 lashes,
and a 1 million Saudi riyal fine against Saudi online activist and
blogger, Raef Badawi.
“This outrageous conviction should be overturned and Mr. Badawi
immediately released,” said the Special Rapporteur on freedom of
religion, Heiner Bielefeldt, the Special Rapporteur on freedom of
expression, Frank La Rue, the Special Rapporteur on torture, Juan E.
Méndez and the Chair-Rapporteur of the Working Group on Arbitrary
Detention, Mads Andenas.
“Mr. Badawi is a prisoner of conscience, who has been convicted for
peacefully expressing his views on religious and other issues,” they
added.
The UN experts also urged the Government of Saudi Arabia to “embark
on more comprehensive reforms to bring their judicial system in
compliance with international standards.”
The human rights experts stressed that “Mr. Badawi was imprisoned for
peacefully exercising his right to freedom of expression” and recalled
the right of all people to “freely manifest their views in matters of
religion or belief and to write, issue and disseminate information and
ideas in these areas through any media without interference.”
They expressed further concern that “the detention and charges
brought against Mr. Badawi appear to be part of an ongoing practice of
prosecution against people who publicly express dissenting religious
views in Saudi Arabia.”
Mr. Badawi, the co-founder of a website called the Liberal Saudi
Network, was detained in June 2012 on charges of “founding a liberal
website,” “adopting liberal thought” and for “insulting Islam”, after
publishing a number of articles on his blog site and social media.
He was convicted in July 2013 to seven years in prison and 600
lashes. At the time, his lawyer claimed that his trial was marred by
irregularities and contested the impartiality of the judicial process in
the case. In December 2013, an appeals court overturned his conviction
and sent the case to Jeddah’s Criminal Court for review. However, last
week, the Criminal Court dramatically toughened the sentence imposed to
Mr. Badawi.
The UN experts reminded the Government of Saudi Arabia of the
international standards concerning the rights to freedom of expression
and freedom of belief, and the obligation to ensure that prisoners are
treated humanely. “Corporal punishment, such as flogging, violates
international law, which prohibits torture or other cruel, inhuman or
degrading treatment or punishment,” said the experts.
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=14597&LangID=E
expressed alarm at the conviction to 10 years in prison, 1,000 lashes,
and a 1 million Saudi riyal fine against Saudi online activist and
blogger, Raef Badawi.
“This outrageous conviction should be overturned and Mr. Badawi
immediately released,” said the Special Rapporteur on freedom of
religion, Heiner Bielefeldt, the Special Rapporteur on freedom of
expression, Frank La Rue, the Special Rapporteur on torture, Juan E.
Méndez and the Chair-Rapporteur of the Working Group on Arbitrary
Detention, Mads Andenas.
“Mr. Badawi is a prisoner of conscience, who has been convicted for
peacefully expressing his views on religious and other issues,” they
added.
The UN experts also urged the Government of Saudi Arabia to “embark
on more comprehensive reforms to bring their judicial system in
compliance with international standards.”
The human rights experts stressed that “Mr. Badawi was imprisoned for
peacefully exercising his right to freedom of expression” and recalled
the right of all people to “freely manifest their views in matters of
religion or belief and to write, issue and disseminate information and
ideas in these areas through any media without interference.”
They expressed further concern that “the detention and charges
brought against Mr. Badawi appear to be part of an ongoing practice of
prosecution against people who publicly express dissenting religious
views in Saudi Arabia.”
Mr. Badawi, the co-founder of a website called the Liberal Saudi
Network, was detained in June 2012 on charges of “founding a liberal
website,” “adopting liberal thought” and for “insulting Islam”, after
publishing a number of articles on his blog site and social media.
He was convicted in July 2013 to seven years in prison and 600
lashes. At the time, his lawyer claimed that his trial was marred by
irregularities and contested the impartiality of the judicial process in
the case. In December 2013, an appeals court overturned his conviction
and sent the case to Jeddah’s Criminal Court for review. However, last
week, the Criminal Court dramatically toughened the sentence imposed to
Mr. Badawi.
The UN experts reminded the Government of Saudi Arabia of the
international standards concerning the rights to freedom of expression
and freedom of belief, and the obligation to ensure that prisoners are
treated humanely. “Corporal punishment, such as flogging, violates
international law, which prohibits torture or other cruel, inhuman or
degrading treatment or punishment,” said the experts.
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=14597&LangID=E
