Quebec offers relief to jailed Saudi blogger
Certificate would allow man sentenced to flogging to apply for Canadian immigration
Quebec has announced it will provide Raif Badawi with a certificate of humanitarian selection, a necessary step for the jailed Saudi blogger to begin the process of applying for immigration to Canada.
The announcement, first reported by La Presse, was made Friday morning in the Quebec legislature by provincial Immigration Minister Kathleen Weil and International Relations Minister Christine St-Pierre.
The certificate applies to individuals in exceptional situations of distress in their home countries, and it is necessary for anyone who wants to establish themselves permanently in the province.
“By obtaining the selection certificate from Quebec, Mr. Badawi will be able to pursue immigration procedures with the federal government,” Weil told a news conference.
She said the certificate will be presented to Badawi’s wife, Ensaf Haidar, in a special ceremony at the ministry’s Montreal office next week.
“The federal (government) is not moving sufficiently in our opinion,” said Mireille Elchacar, an Amnesty International official in Sherbrooke, Que., where Badawi’s wife and three children currently live.
Elchacar said the measure puts pressure on Ottawa to intervene in the case. “We want Canada to do more . . . The ball is in its court and it can take stronger steps for Mr. Badawi to be reunited with his family.”
Citizenship and Immigration Canada did not return a request for comment on Friday.
The news comes as a family spokeswoman confirmed that Badawi’s expected flogging was not carried out on Friday in Saudi Arabia.
“Did you hear the news? I’m really happy,” Elham Manea told the Star.
“The main thing is we got the confirmation nothing happened today. At the same time, we again reiterate our call on His Majesty King Salman to pardon Raif Badawi and unite him with his family.”
Saudi officials sentenced Badawi to 1,000 lashes, 10 years in prison, and a fine of more than $325,000 for insulting the country’s religious authorities on his blog. On June 7, the Saudi Supreme Court upheld Badawi’s sentence, and his supporters feared the floggings would resume Friday.
Badawi was set to receive 50 lashes over the course of 20 weeks, but after receiving his first set on Jan. 9, the punishment has been repeatedly postponed. Badawi’s family sought refuge in Canada in 2012 following his arrest. Haidar said Thursday she was appealing to top Saudi officials to free her husband. The family, she said, was “waiting for Raif to get out by any means.”
Manea also reiterated the call for the Saudi leadership to pardon Badawi, adding his supporters were “overwhelmed with joy” by the news he was not flogged this week.