National Post

Imprisoned Saudi blogger on hunger strike over transfer, Canadian wife says

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Imprisoned Saudi blogger Raif Badawi has begun a hunger strike after being transferre­d to an “isolated” prison about 90 km from Djeddah, his wife said Thursday. “We are very alarmed at the decision to transfer my husband to the Shabbat Central and fear it may lead to the resumption of his flogging,” Ensaf Haidar said. Badawi was sentenced in 2013 to seven years in prison and 600 lashes for his criticism of Saudi clerics, but an appeals judge stiffened the punishment to 1,000 lashes and 10 years in jail. He received the first 50 lashes in January. Badawi’s imprisonme­nt has drawn condemnati­on internatio­nally and in Canada, where Haidar has lived since 2013. Haidar has implored Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to take up her husband’s case so he can join his family in Canada.

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