U.S. asks Saudis to cancel 1,000-lash sentence for liberal activist

The United States asked Saudi Arabia on Thursday to cancel a sentence of 1,000 lashes given to a liberal activist. U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the Saudis should review the case of Raif Badawi, who was arrested in June 2012 and charged with offenses including cyber crime, disobeying his father and disobeying his faith. He was sentenced last year to 10 years in prison, a fine of 1 million Saudi riyals ($266,666) and 1,000 lashes. Amnesty International said Badawi was to undergo the first round of 50 lashes in a public flogging on Friday. Badawi had run a website called Free Saudi Liberals that included articles critical of senior Saudi religious figures and others from Muslim history. The U.S., Psaki said, opposes apostasy laws that restrict freedom.

The United States government calls on Saudi authorities to cancel this brutal punishment and to review Badawi’s case and sentence.

Jen Psaki, U.S. State Department spokeswoman

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