2015 Saudi Arabia: Raif Badawi
King Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud
The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques
Office of His Majesty the King
Royal Court, Riyadh
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Oslo, 05.03.15
Your Majesty,
Norwegian PEN have become aware of a possible retrial of Raif Badawi that can face him with death penalty. For a long time we have been deeply concerned about Badawi and his family, as well as his lawyer who is also arrested. We hope there will soon be a worthy solution to this annoying case, and urge for the unconditional release of Raif Badawi and his lawyer Walid Abu al-Khair, as they are being held solely for their peaceful exercise of their rights to freedom of expression.a
We call for Raif Badawi’s 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 urge the Saudi Arabian authorities not to bring any charge of «apostasy» against Raif Badawi. In the meantime, we call for both him and his lawyer to be granted all necessary medical treatment and access to their families and lawyers of their chose.
Finally we hope that Saudi Arabia will ratify, without reservation, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Yours sincerely,
Ms Brit Bildøen
Chair of Writers in Prison Committee
Norwegian PEN
COPY: The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Embassy of the Royal Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Norway.
