According to Reuters, Raif Badawi, a Saudi Arabian man who recently endured a severe flogging for crimes such as “disobeying his father,” “insulting Islam,” and “cyber crime” (also known as starting a website called “Free Saudi Liberals”), is not medically fit to endure more flogging:
“Badawi was subjected to the first 50 lashes a week ago and was due to be flogged again after Friday prayers, although Saudi authorities had come under Western pressure to call off the punishment.”
Allegedly, the prosecutors’ original intent was to try Badawi for apostasy, which would have resulted in the death penalty, but they decided to be a bit more kind, and gift him nearly a dozen years in prison, a light financial penalty, and some floggings:
“He [Badawi] was sentenced last year to 10 years in jail, a fine of 1 million riyals ($267,000) and 1,000 lashes after prosecutors challenged an earlier sentence of seven years and 600 lashes as too lenient.”
The pressure from Western groups such as Amnesty International has done little to stop Saudi Arabian authorities from continuing Badawi’s sentence. The only reason the authorities have postponed Badawi’s punishment is because the first round of lashes was so physically damaging that he has yet to heal enough to endure his next round.
Though the medical professional who examined Badawi recommended the postponement, according to Reuters:
“Amnesty [International] said ‘it is unclear whether the authorities will fully comply with this demand.'”
For the uninitiated, flogging is the process by which one is struck repeatedly on the back, and shoulders with a whip, the end of which is often wrapped around pieces of bone, and other sharp items in order to inflict the most damage.
