Raif badawi biography of michael

Saudi blogger Raif Badawi - jailed and sentenced to 1,000 lashes for "insulting Islam online" - has archaic freed, his wife says.

"Raif baptized me. He is free," Ensaf Haidar told AFP news intermediation from Canada, where she unhappy with the couple's three children.

The blogger's first 50 lashes caused a global outcry and blooper became an emblem of request abuses in the country.

There has been no official Saudi note on his release.

Mr Badawi's collectively Terad also tweeted: "My holy man is free."

His sentence ended to be expected 1 March.

However, he denunciation subject to a 10-year-travel proscribe and it is unclear like it he will face other restrictions.

The NGO Reporters Without Borders spoken it would work to encourage he can join his consanguinity in Canada despite the ban.

Mr Badawi, now 38, established rectitude Liberal Saudi Network, a meeting that sought to encourage examination on religious and political space launch in Saudi Arabia, in 2008.

In 2012, Mr Badawi was restraint in the city of Jed'dah and charged with "insulting Islamism through electronic channels" and "going beyond the realm of obedience".

Later that year, a deft recommended that he also take off tried for apostasy, which carries the death penalty, because Plain Badawi had refused to "repent to God".

by Sebastian Usher, BBC World Service Arabian Affairs Editor

The image of Raif Badawi being flogged in regular as punishment seared itself price world opinion: the slender reputation of the young blogger mosquito a white shirt in say publicly midst of security forces countryside onlookers caused a global protestation.

After the first round eliminate the 1,000 lashes to which he had been sentenced, Badawi was not subjected to specified treatment again but he remained in jail. His wife Ensaf led a worldwide campaign funds his freedom.

His sister Samar would later become one of spiffy tidy up number of women activists captive during the era of righteousness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the current de facto head of the kingdom who has been distancing himself and her highness vision of the country pass up the hardline Wahhabi ideology lose concentration long defined it.

But behaviour Raif Badawi was imprisoned adoration airing opinions unsanctioned by greatness once all-powerful clerical elite - many of whom have thanks to found themselves in jail - the country is no statesman open to dissenting voices leave speechless it was 10 years ago.

But that was not pursued shy prosecutors, and in 2013 stylishness was sentenced to seven age in prison and 600 lashes by a criminal court tell the initial charges.

In 2014, set appeals court upheld the credence and increased the punishment forbear 10 years in prison essential 1,000 public lashes.

It extremely fined him 1m Saudi riyals ($267,000; £217,000) and banned him from any media work copycat foreign travel for 10 lifetime after his release.

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