I guess some of you haven't heard the name before, have you? Well Raif Badawi is a liberal blogger from Saudi Arabia who ran The Liberal Saudi Network whic was a platform he used to encourage online debate on religious and political issues.
Badawi was arrested in 2012 for "insulting Islam through electronic channels".Badawi received his first 50 lashes in January, but subsequent floggings have been postponed.
A shaky video taken on a mobile phone showed Badawi being lashed by a member of the security forces.
The footage prompted international protests which were repeated every Friday, the scheduled day for the beatings.
In March, the kingdom expressed "surprise and dismay" at international criticism over the punishment.Saudi authorities sent his case for review amidst global protests, after the first round of lashes in January.
Speaking from Canada, his wife Ensaf Haidar told the BBC she feared his punishment would start again on Friday
Ms Haidar said she had held high hopes that her husband was about to be released, but he remained less optimistic.
When they last spoke three days ago he told her not to expect him home in the near future.
She called on the countries and rights groups that had campaigned for her husband's release to mobilise once more.
SOURCE; BBC NEWS
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