Saudi Arabian blogger Raif Badawi has had his sentence of 1,000 lashes suspended, a Swiss government official told reporters on Satruday.
His wife, Ensaf Haidar, hasn’t been able to confirm the suspension, but took to twitter to say she knew the Swiss government was working hard on his case.
Last year, Badawi was sentenced to 1,000 lashings and 10 years in prison for starting a website for social change in Saudi Arabia, according to Amnesty International.
Get daily National news
READ MORE: Imprisoned, flogged Saudi blogger Raif Badawi wins top EU rights prize
He was supposed to receive 50 lashes every Friday for 20 weeks, but only received one session in January 2015.
- Osoyoos Band seeks return of sacred sites in discussions with B.C. government
- Record turnout expected for Penticton Peach Classic Triathlon, boosting local economy
- Mom and 1-month-old baby missing in northern B.C., not seen since July 9
- Hoekstra says Trump serious about tariff threat over wildfire smoke
Badawi, is a Saudi Arabian writer, but his wife and three children received political asylum in Quebec in 2013, according to his website.
The provincial government in Quebec has called for his release, and has promised him an immigration certificate on humanitarian grounds.
A petition calling for his immediate release on Amnesty International has over 1 million signatures.
Comments
Want to discuss? Please read our Commenting Policy first.